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Washington County Commissioners approve hospital tax assessment for Washington County

By Sophie Wheeler 3 min read

MARIETTA -- Washington County Commissioners met for their regular meeting on Wednesday morning and approved a tax resolution for Washington County hospitals, a letter of support for the Village of Beverly's AMLER grant application, a MOU with Family Children First and ForeverDads and a donation from Ohio Means Jobs to AmVets.

The hospital tax assessment authorizes county boards of commission to impose a local tax on hospitals for the purpose of generating the nonfederal share of Medicaid expenditures of the Rural Ohio Hospital Tax Pilot Program, through the passage of Amended Substitute House Bill No. 96 by the Ohio General Assembly.

Colleen Ernst, a consultant with Adelanto Healthcare Ventures, said hospitals serving low-income residents receive reimbursement through the Medicaid program, but hospitals are not always reimbursed for the full cost. Ernst said this program would help the hospitals get closer to a full reimbursement for services.

"It makes providing care for low-income (individuals) more sustainable," she said. "That's the goal for Memorial, to be able to serve everyone within the community."

"There's an imbalance (of reimbursement from Medicaid) from the federal level, to the state level, to the county level, and (the hospital tax assessment) is a way for us to address that," Doug Full, CFO of Memorial Healthcare Systems, said. "To continue serving Washington County and the surrounding area, we have to have this now. There is no choice."

Commissioners approved a letter of support for the Village of Beverly's application for the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) grant that helps revitalize communities and areas within former coal mines. The grant would contribute to complete the walking/bike path project that began through the Appalachian Community Grant.

Commissioners also approved a MOU with Family Children First and ForeverDads, to support the implementation of the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative in Washington County. The program aims to ensure that fathers in Washington County have access to coordinated, accessible and high quality services that promote responsible parenting, economic stability and family well being. Also, supports county level service presence, referral coordination, and access to workforce and family support services.

Commissioners received an estimate for the chip and seal repairs to Masonic Park Lane, a private road that provides access to the county gravel pit, for a total of $6,510. In the letter, Roger Wright, Washington County engineer, said his office could provide labor and equipment and would donate these costs to the "community effort to maintain these access roads.

Commissioner Greg Nohe said a representative of Masonic Lodge requested a meeting with commissioners to discuss the project and the estimate was tabled for further discussion.

Ohio Means Jobs Supervisor Stephanie Canfield presented a donation of $2,341.32 from Vets One Incentive Award to American Veterans Post 1788 member Commander Larry Woods. She said the contribution would ‘further support the meaningful work (Post 1788) provides to veterans and their families in Washington County.’

In other business, commissioners approved two additional appropriation requests; $80,030 for the Building Department, and $74,579 for the Juvenile Court DYS Grant fund. Commissioners also approved three budget transfers; $12,330 for the Building Department from discretionary merit to salaries, $14,550 for the prosecutor from discretionary merit to salaries, and $10,000 for Sanitary Sewer Department from contract services to operation and maintenance.

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