Newspaper Page Text
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iReporter
April 4, 2018
MONROE COUNTY HOSPITAL
Audit: Despite gains, hospital still facing losses
Monroe County Hospi
tals auditor said last week
that despite a better per
formance in 2016-17, the
facility still faces financial
difficulty and recurring
losses.
The hospitals auditing
firm of Draffin & Tucker of
Albany released its audit of
the 2016-17 fiscal year last
week, noting that the facil
ity lost $827,000 during the
year. That was much better
than the $2.5 million it lost
in 2015-16.
“Were moving in the
right direction for sure,”
said Authority chairman
Todd Tolbert.
Revenues were up from
$7.8 million to $8.8 mil
lion, while expenses were
cut from $10.4 million
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to $9.6 million. Actual
patient charges would have
been $20 million, but
the hospital continued to
forego huge amounts of
revenue, $11 million of it,
that it cannot collect from
patients due to Medicare or
insurance agreements that
reduce charges.
Perhaps most troubling,
the hospital took on new
debt after taxpayers ap
proved a non-binding
referendum to dedicate one
mill of property taxes to
shore up the hospital. Last
year, the hospital reported
$486,000 in long-term
debt, and now it reports
$10.4 million in long-term
debt, that must be paid off
by 2042, including $5.6
million in interest. Bor
rowing the money means
the hospital now has $3.3
million in the bank plus an
other $4 million for capital
expenditures, as opposed
to just $309,000 of cash on
hand last year.
The audit mentions that
the hospital is now being
managed by Navicent and
has a plan for renovations
and for more taxpayer
funding to shore up the
rough fiscal picture. But
the auditor seems uncon
vinced.
“The hospital is fac
ing financial difficulty
and recurring operating
losses,” said the audit. “The
hospital has become fis
cally dependent on Monroe
County. Management has
outlined a plan to improve
the financial position. Our
opinion is not modified
with respect to this matter.”
The Authority also
released its updated 2018
fiscal year finances last
Tuesday. In February,
MCH posted a loss of just
over $9,000, but once non
operating income, includ
ing a $100,000 monthly
supplement from county
taxpayers is factored in,
the hospital posted a gain
of just over $143,000 for
February.
For the first five months
of the 2018 fiscal year
(which began Oct. 1,2017),
MCH has recorded an
operating loss of just over
$189,000, but thanks to
non-operating income,
including $500,000 in
county supplements, the
hospitals total gain is a
positive $638,000. Without
the county’s $1.2 million
tax supplement in 2017,
at the same time last year,
the hospital was in the hole
over $415,000.
After an hour-long
presentation, the authority
voted 4-0 to approve the
2017 audit. Three Author
ity members, Larry Burney,
Henry Davis and Phillip
English, were absent from
the March 27 meeting.
FORSYTH CITY COUNCIL
Qualify for council seat April 16-18
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyth will hold a special election
on Tuesday, May 22 to fill the Post 1
council seat left vacant by the death
of council member Dexter King. To
become a candidate for Post 1, an
individual must qualify at the Board
of Elections & Registration Office
on the ground floor of the Monroe
County Administration Building
during office hours between 8:30 a.m.
on Monday, April 16 and 12 noon
on Wednesday, April 18 and pay a
qualifying fee of $301.35, which is 3
percent of the annual remuneration
for serving on Forsyth city council.
Post 1 serves the entire city of
Forsyth. The six council posts do not
reflect any geographic separations;
council members may live anywhere
in the city limits, and all six council
members serve all residents of the
city, unlike county commissioners,
other than the chairman, and school
board members who are elected by
the residents of a specific district.
The person elected to fill the re
mainder of Dexter King’s term will
serve through Dec. 31,2019. Council
members and the mayor are all elect
ed for four year terms. The city has no
term limits, however. According to
the city charter, to be eligible to hold
the office, a person must be at least 21
years old and must have been a resi
dent of the city for 12 months prior
to the date of election. The person
must continue to live in the city and
be registered and qualified to vote in
municipal elections to be qualified to
serve on council. The council mem
ber must have no financial conflicts
of interest that would affect serving as
a council member.
Early voting for the special election
for Post 1 will be held Monday, April
30-Friday, May 18 from 8:30 a.m.-
4:30 p.m. on weekdays at the Monroe
County Board of Elections & Regis
tration, 38 W. Main St., Forsyth. Polls
will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on
Election Day, May 22. Anyone who
wishes to vote in the special elections
must register to vote by the close of
business on Tuesday, April 24.
County and state elections will also
be held on May 22, but voting will
be kept separate for the city election;
anyone voting in both elections will
cast two ballots. Locally two school
board races are contested.
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