By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–After much discussion at a joint special meeting of the Henry County Commission and Henry County Medical Center board of trustees, the consensus was to only seek changes to one section of the Private Act: allowing the sale of the Henry County Health Care Center.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss possible changes to two other sections of the Private Act, as well: composition of the hospital board and to allow the county commission the option to raise the tax for hospital operation if needed in the future. After protracted discussion among county commission members, especially on the latter point, it was decided to drop both of those from any Private Act request. Both County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway and County Attorney Rob Whitfield made clear that this would not have meant an increase in property taxes.
At the meeting’s outset, Hospital Board Chairman Bruce Reed opened the meeting to comments from the community. Both former Hospital CEO Tom Gee and former Hospital Board Chairman Phil Wichlan spoke out against the possibility of increasing the board membership.
Gee said he did not believe it was in the best interest of the hospital to have additional members. It was noted that prior to 2015, there were five hospital board members, two of which were county commissioners. In 2015, two additional members were added, making it a total of seven members on the board.
Gee said adding too many people to the board can be disruptive and that politics should never be involved.
On the subject of the Health Care Center sale, County Ridgeway said the timeline of the change in language to the Private Act to allow the sale would be: The County Commission would be asked to approve a resolution (probably at the November meeting), the resolution would be sent to Nashville, where it would be acted upon in February, then go to the Senate for adoption, then back to Henry County in March or April.
Addressing the composition of the board, Ridgeway said some people have proposed a change which would allow more oversight by the county over the hospital board and he asked Gee why the composition was changed in 2015.
Gee explained it had been difficult to achieve a quorum and they wanted to add more members to be more representative of the community.
Current Hospital CEO John Tucker said he could see rationale for both keeping the board make-up the same or adding to it. “I don’t feel strongly one way or the other”, he said.
Commissioner Monte Starks said there had been discussion among commissioners that there needed to be more oversight and Reed said to the commissioners, “I hope you can see we are trying to be more open” with the commission, including providing more financial information each month. “I think we have a good board in place now,” he said.
“I think the board now is exceptional,” Commissioner Patrick Burns said. “But how do we avoid going back” to the lack of communication between the boards. “Nobody is above reproach”.
Commissioner David Webb said the reason to change the board makeup should be compelling, “And I haven’t heard any compelling reason for changing” it.
“Could we have handled (the recent closure of the hospital’s OB department) differently?” Reed asked. “Yes. I’ll admit that…But our backs were against the wall. But do I wish we could have handled that differently and communicated better? Yes. But my focus is keeping this hospital open and right now I think we’re pointed in the right direction.”
On the subject of the change in language of the Private Act to allow the county flexibility to increase the amount of property tax that can be used for the hospital (this would not be an increase in property taxes), Ridgeway noted that in 1953, the Private Act gave permission to Henry County to levy a tax not to exceed .50 per $100 upon all taxable property in support of the hospital.
Ridgeway said it appeared this was a good time to ask for the change in language “so that it would give Henry County the ability to increase the taxable property in the future if needed.” Ridgeway noted that besides Jackson-Madison and the Memphis hospitals, Henry County Medical Center is the largest hospital in West Tennessee. “Times are changing in health care”, he said.
Whitfield agreed, noting, “We all recognize that 50 cent doesn’t buy today what it could buy” in 1953. “And we’re not talking about a tax increase…we’re just talking about just giving the county the option for the future.”
Ridgeway asked if there was a consensus to raise the language to give permission to Henry County to levy a tax not to exceed $1 “and hopefully we’d never have to put that on.”
Discussion among commissioners ensued, with Commissioner Ralph Wiles voicing his strong displeasure and other commissioners indicating they were not sure.
Ridgeway said a unanimous stance among commissioners would be sought for something as important as a change in the Private Act, and that the change in language on that subject would not be requested.
Photo: Tom Gee speaks at the outset of Monday night’s joint meeting of the county commission and hospital boards. Shannon McFarlin photo.