Franklin Co. Sells Road to IBA

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Franklin County Commissioners have voted to sell a county road to help pay for the Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center bond debt.

At a recent meeting, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted to sell Clear Creek Parkway around Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center to the Franklin County Industrial Building Authority for $311,000.

In December, Franklin County took $382,000 from its reserve fund to make the hospital’s bond payment.

A month earlier, Ty Cobb Healthcare CEO Greg Hearn announced that the hospital was unable to make its bond payments and was some $2 million in the red due to indigent and non-pay patients.

Franklin County Commission Chair Thomas Bridges said selling this road and getting the money from the Industrial Building Authority was the only way for Franklin County to get the money it needed.

Bridges said the money will likely be put back into the General Fund and set aside for the June 1 payment.

Hearn announced last year that he is actively pursuing a major hospital to either partner with Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center to keep the hospital’s doors open or just buy it outright.

Bridges said he plans to get an update on how that is going next week.

If a partner is not found for Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center, Bridges said the Franklin County Commission will look at using the next round of SPLOST revenue in Franklin County to make future bond payments, assuming the next SPLOST referendum passes in Franklin County.