Parcel tax measure to fund East Bay hospital system goes before voters this fall

"When it opened as Washington Hospital in 1958, the area had about 18,000 residents. Over the decades, the health care district has grown to include a 415-bed, acute care hospital, the $350 million Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion, which opened in 2018, and last year was designated level II trauma center to treat people who suffer traumatic injuries from collisions, stabbings and shootings."

"The Washington Township Health Care District, which has its own board of directors, now serves an area with about 350,000 residents. Also known as the Medical Emergency and Life Saving Care Funding Act, the measure would add a 5 cents per square foot tax on property owners through 2038. Supporters say the funds in part would go toward building out the facility and bolstering services for emergency healthcare, hospital and trauma center services and recruit and keep qualified medical personnel in our community."

Measure B would generate about $13 million annually for 12 years for the Washington Township Health Care District through a parcel tax of 5 cents per square foot on properties through 2038. The district serves Fremont, Newark, Union City, and parts of Hayward and Sunol, covering about 350,000 residents. The district includes a 415-bed acute hospital and the $350 million Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion, opened in 2018 and designated a level II trauma center last year. Funds would be used to update medical equipment and technology, reduce emergency room wait times, bolster emergency, hospital and trauma services, and recruit and retain qualified medical personnel. The measure would cost most homeowners about $87 or less per year.

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