Voters Nix Hospital Bonds

Voters in northern San Diego County this week rejected a bond measure to rebuild the Tri-City Healthcare District’s hospital to meet state-mandated earthquake safety standards for a third time.

The district asked voters to approve a $589 million bond measure to rebuild the Tri-City Medical Center in time to meet a California law that requires higher seismic standards by 2013.

The measure needed approval by two-thirds of voters in a special election held Tuesday, but it garnered support from just 62.5% of voters.

The general obligation bond measure would have increased property taxes by about $22 a year for each $100,000 of assessed value. The hospital district is in a region that’s been hard hit by the national housing crunch and has historically been one of Southern California’s bastions of opposition to tax increases.

District president Larry Schallock told the North County Times that the hospital would have to seek relief from the seismic standards from the state Legislature or close facilities that it can’t afford to upgrade. 

The district also lost two bond elections in 2006. It has not decided how to proceed now that it has received a third rejection.

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Healthcare industry
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