Hospital tax questions brought to Commission

DOUBLE SPRINGS - The question of why residents in district 1 of Winston County have to pay taxes to support a hospital they claim to not use on the county’s opposite side surfaced for deep discussion at a recent county commission meeting.
Stephanie Schambeau of Arley, formerly of Haleyville, addressed the commission about the taxes paid in district 1, as well as needs she is seeing in the area where she lives on Brushy Lane.
“I am not really sure why in district 1 our money is going to the hospital tax in Haleyville,” Schambeau stated. “I don’t know of anyone who would go from Arley to Haleyville to  the hospital, so I am not sure why that millage rate from district 1 is going there.”
Schambeau was referring to additional millage paid countywide on ad valorem taxes to support Lakeland Community Hospital in Haleyville.
Commissioner for District 2 Roger Hayes  explained that the tax was four mills generated for Burdick West Memorial Hospital, the name of the hospital when it opened in 1969.
The original hospital tax was voted into effect by the citizens of Winston County in order to fund a county hospital, at a time when individual doctors had their own practices/hospitals, according to background provided by county officials to the Alabamian.
The Hill-Burton Act was a requirement for non-profit hospitals, or the county hospital, to provide a certain amount of free medical service for indigent care  in order to receive additional government funding, county officials said.
When Burdick West Hospital was sold to Carraway, there was no longer a levy of the four mill ad valorem tax.
In 2017-2018, the Winston County Healthcare Authority was formed when Lakeland Hospital was in danger of closing. The Authority purchased the hospital and as part of the process, the county commission reauthorized a levy of the ad valorem tax for the hospital at two mills instead of four mills, authorities said.
“You asked how the county gets a benefit from it,” Hayes addressed Schambeau. “If there’s not a hospital in your county, workman’s comp goes almost double, which includes education and your manufacturers.
“I was raised over there (on the east side of Winston County.) The east side does benefit from it on the workman’s comp,” Hayes continued.
“There is not a manufacturer who is going to move into your area if you don’t have a hospital in your county. That’s just the bottom line on it,” Hayes pointed out. “I didn’t think you knew that.”
I  don’t like to get all that stirred back up again, but you need to know the truth on it,” Hayes continued.
“It’s a shame to me that we’re getting so much growth and how can we get some help?” Schambeau then asked the commission.
Hayes noted the county does not get to keep all of the funding that is generates from ad valorem or land taxes.
“Eighty percent of that goes to the state,” Hayes informed Schambeau. “A lot of people aren’t aware of that.  I wasn’t aware of it  when I came into office years ago.
“We fight the same fight as everybody else,” Hayes continued. “Roads seem to be the number one thing in our county.  They always have been.”
Hayes then stated that Winston County does not get any land taxes off federal properties, which include the Bankhead National Forest.
“Two-thirds of our land in Winston County is national forest,” Hayes noted.