On Saturday, voters in the Acadia St. Landry Hospital Service District approved the millage that will be used to fund a planned new hospital facility in Church Point.
HospitalCEO Cindy Walters said, “We are very excited. Now the real work begins. This (the election) was just one hurdle (in the process), now that we’ve got the backing from the community. We needed to know where the community stood on things. It’s a new day at Acadia St. Landry Hospital.”
Walters and several of the hospital’s board members, a few physicians, area police jurors and Church Point city council members were together when the voting results were announced.
“Everyone’s minds are now on design, and everyone’s got comments on what the new hospital will look like,” Walters added, laughing
She continued, “We want to thank the community, everybody, for their many, many years of support. The community has always supported Acadia St. Landry Hospital.”
The millage is a special ad valorem (property) tax of 10 mills on all the property subject to taxation in the service district. That district includes some precincts in Acadia Parish Wards 6 and 7 and St. Landry Parish Ward 6, Precinct 2.
The following are the election results from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office:
During early voting, 136 people, or 64 percent, in the Acadia Parish portion of the service district voted in favor of the millage, and 76 people, or 36 percent, voted against the millage. Also during early voting, 32 people, or 59 percent, in the St. Landry Parish portion of the service district voted in favor of the millage, and 22 people, or 41 percent, voted against the millage.
During regular voting, 861 people, or 70 percent, in the Acadia Parish portion of the service district voted in favor of the millage, and 373 people, or 30 percent, voted against the millage. Also during regular voting, 125 people, or 65 percent, in the St. Landry Parish portion of the service district voted in favor of the millage, and 68 people, or 35 percent, voted against the millage.
The new tax will begin this year and end in 2029. Funds generated will be “for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, equipping, maintaining and/or operating new and existing hospital, health care and related facilities ... and recruiting physicians and other healthcare professionals.”
The new tax is “in lieu of and replacing” the existing 7.64-mill proposition currently levied.
In addition to funds generated by the millage, the plan to cover the cost of the hospital also includes a $24 million U.S. Department of Agriculture loan; $5 million in new market tax credits; and a $2.12 million local bank loan.
The hospital’s pre-application for the USDA loan was approved on June 25, and the hospital’s full application is in the process of being completed. The soft deadline to have the application turned in is the end of September.
The proposed site for the hospital is on Louisiana Highway 35, just south of the Church Point Wholesale facility. The 17-acre tract is already owned by the hospital.
The planned hospital will be double the size of the current facility, an increase from 35,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet. ASLH is one of 27 critical access hospitals in the state.
