By Becky Brewster
The Culberson County Hospital District conducted a public hearing on the proposed FY 2016-2017 budgets. After no comments were received, the Board adopted the FY 2016-2017 budgets as presented, noting that $150,000 had been transferred to reserve accounts for this fiscal year with an additional $150,000 budgeted to be transferred in the new budget year. In addition to regular operating expenses, the new budget includes funds to purchase a new chassis for one of the existing ambulances. Bids for this will be due September 23 and awarded at the October regular meeting. Bids are also pending for a new chemistry analyzer for the lab and a new DR flat panel detector for radiology which are being funded by a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
The Board set the 2016 tax rate at $.290410/$100 valuation which was the effective tax rate calculated by the Appraisal District. Of this, $.076747 will be allocated to debt service and $.213663 will go to general fund.
Judy Blazek, Project Manager, briefed the Board on the status of the clinic construction project. Blazek noted that all documentation has been filed with the insurance company on the vandalism claim which is still pending. The Board ratified and approved change orders for the project. Kathy Potts, Project Architect, reported that she and Fratto Engineering conducted a site inspection on August 29. The project is on schedule for an April 2017 completion date.
In other business, the Culberson County Hospital District:
• Approved financial reports and accounts payable.
• Approved 2015-2016 Budget Amendments.
• Authorized the CFO to attend the Government Finance Officers training.
• Approved six tax sale proposals submitted by Josh Martin.