SCBC Post 1 Candidates answers question about hospital funding during Candidate Town Hall

The Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce’s sponsored Candidate Town Hall gave citizens an opportunity to hear from the candidates who have qualified for the Stephens County Board of Commissioners and the Stephens County Board of Education posts.

Dawn Jameson was the moderator for the event. One of the questions Jameson asked the Stephens County Board of Commissioners candidates was how they felt about the county budgeting funds for the Stephens County Humane Shelter while no funds are budgeted for the Stephens County Hospital.

“Currently, the county allots $180,000 each year to our humane shelter; yet, no money is budgeted for our local hospital. If elected would you support continuing to fund the humane shelter at this rate, while telling the hospital that gave $11-million in free healthcare to citizens of our community last year that there is no money in the budget for them,” she asked?

WNEG News failed to include Republican Challenger for Post 4 Chris Rickman’s comment during yesterday’s newscasts.

Rickman says it’s important that Stephens County residents has access to quality healthcare.

“Both are important items, but obviously healthcare is one of the key items for the future of Stephens County. You got to have healthcare that’s reliable and dependable that citizens can count on. I would agree to providing funding to the humane society; but, the hospital deserves the support of Stephens County. Now, do I think that it’s the responsibility of the citizens of Stephens County to fund the hospital, no it’s not. The new management at the hospital has made tremendous strides in improving the quality of care and the funding base for the hospital. We need to work together and partner with the board of directors at the hospital as a county commission board to make sure the viability of the hospital remains and that Stephens County has multiple healthcare options to provide for its citizens,” he said.

Here are the answers from the Post 1 candidates.

Republican candidate Craig Beatty says the hospital is important but it should be treated as a business.

“The first part of the question, regarding the humane society, I’m 100 percent in support of those funds that are allocated and would like to continue that. I think it’s very important, I know my pets are like family to me and I’m sure the rest can relate. Regarding the hospital, I think hospitals, I know they are vital and a staple to our community—to any community—but then again, I do agree, I think hospitals need to be self-supportive. I know they create tremendous jobs, tremendous asset for us when we have medical needs. But again, an operation such as a hospital needs to be independently operated and a profitable organization that’s ran and treated as a business,” Beatty said.

Republican candidate Dennis Black says the county needs to help fund the hospital.

“So, there’s no way of answering that question without making someone mad. But number one is, I will lay down beside my wife tonight who has three dogs, so, that may help you let your mind wander about how I will look after the animals of the county. I think it’s a crying shame that we are not having money spent on the hospital. We have to have a hospital. I’m in the agriculture business. It’s the most dangerous business out there, and every time we work cows, either me or my son takes the bad end of one of those cows, so, I need a hospital close,” he said.

Republican candidate Larry Krul says the county shouldn’t be funding the humane shelter.

“Well, it’s my understanding that indigent care is paid for by the county to the hospital. Again, these are just the things that I am made to understand. I don’t know the nuts and bolts of it. The humane shelter has been a burden on the county, that was a thorn in my side when it was being built—I happen to be the building inspector at the time—the story was ‘help us for three years then we’ll be on our own,’ but that never happened. Do we need a humane shelter, yes, but we need to find a way to fund it other than through the taxpayers? The hospital could surely use more money, I don’t know if that should come from us either, because it is a business,” Krul said.

Republican candidate Tara Simmons says she supports the county funding the humane shelter.

“I serve on the humane shelter board. I’ve served on the humane shelter board for 10 years. What a lot of people don’t know about the humane shelter board is that a third of its budget comes from fundraising and from donations from our community. It is a necessary service for the community. If we don’t have it, industry and new people are not going to move here, they’re not interested in coming somewhere, where we don’t have animal control. The shelter provides much needed services to the community that a lot of people are not aware of, they provide low cost spay and neuter and other services. As for the hospital, they have a much more feasible way to raise their own income. And they, unlike the shelter, received significant COVID relief funds. They are in a very secure financial situation currently. The new administration has done a wonderful job pulling them up, and I hope that will continue,” Simmons said.

Republican candidate Bo Webb says he supports funding the humane shelter and he does support providing funding to the hospital on a short-term basis.

“So, yes, I would continue supporting the animal shelter to the level that we are at now, I feel comfortable with. As far as the hospital, the hospital right now is under new management with Van, and I think he has some really good ideas and he’s moving in the right direction. I really support his efforts. I do not support just throwing money at a problem. You don’t solve a problem with money, you solve a problem with management, and having an effective leader in that position will solve the problem that we have at the hospital. Now, if something come in and we needed to cover something short-term to get him through something while he was working on getting his plan implemented, I would support that but not long-term and not increasing taxes,” Webb said.

Following their comments, Jameson explained that the county does provide funding to the hospital annually.

“I want to clarify a few things that the Stephens County 2022 Budget includes. There are $433,620 in indigent health care paid for out of the Stephens County Budget. There is $751,541 spent on ambulance service, $32,000 additionally is spent on fuel for the ambulances. $25,000 is spent for the maintenance of the ambulances. SPLOST Funds buy those ambulances. This is the county budget and all of it is on public record. $1,242,161 is for hospital and ambulance services paid for with tax-payer money,” Jameson explained.

WNEG News will continue our recap of the Candidate Town Hall on Monday.