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

"FREMONT - Voters within an Alameda County public health care district are being asked this November to approve a parcel tax that supporters of the measure say is needed to keep medical equipment and technology up to date, reduce emergency room wait time and "ensure that our community has highly qualified doctors, surgeons and nurses." If passed on Nov. 4, Measure B is expected to generate $13 million annually"

"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."

Measure B would add a 5 cents per square foot parcel tax on property owners through 2038 to generate about $13 million annually for the Washington Township Health Care District. The district serves Fremont, Newark, Union City and parts of Hayward and Sunol and covers roughly 350,000 residents. The district operates a 415-bed acute care hospital and the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion and was recently designated a level II trauma center. Funds are intended for updated medical equipment and technology, reduced emergency room wait times, expanded emergency and trauma services, and recruiting and retaining qualified medical personnel.

Read at The Mercury News