Voters in Dallas County, Texas, overwhelmingly approved a bond measure on Tuesday that would replace 54-year-old Parkland Memorial Hospital with a larger, modern facility.
The $747 million bond will cover about 60 percent of the cost of a new $1.3 billion public hospital. The 862-bed facility will be built across Harry Hines Boulevard from the current 675-bed hospital.
According to Ron Anderson, Parkland's president and chief executive officer, the vote was "decisive and precedent-setting." He told the [italics] Dallas Morning News [end italics] that other U.S. cities have downsized their charity hospitals in recent years.
"This is the first public hospital to be built based on the size of the need and not the size of the political will," Anderson said.
When the hospital is completed in 2014, it will add $52.50 in annual property taxes for owners of homes valued at $150,000. That represents a 13.7 percent increase in the Dallas County Hospital District's tax rate.
The bond election represents the first time in 28 years the hospital district has asked voters to fund a construction project. About $500 million of the cost will come from private donations and revenues the hospital has on hand.
[bold] California children's hospital bonds approved [end bold]
California voters on Tuesday approved $980 million in bonds for construction and new equipment at eight nonprofit and five University of California children's hospitals.
Under Proposition 3, all five UC hospitals will be eligible to share 20 percent of the total funds, while the state has eight nonprofit hospitals likely to be eligible for the remaining 80 percent. The money can be used for renovation, expansion, furnishings or equipment.
The hospitals bankrolled the campaign after pushing a smaller version of the bonds four years ago that voters approved. Taxpayer watchdog groups opposed the initiative, citing the state's ongoing budget deficit problems.
With 89 percent of precincts reporting, Proposition 3 had 55 percent support.