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The Pend Oreille Hospital Taxing District passed the maximum allowable operational budget increase of 3 percent, or, $33,401.00 upon the taxpayers in a 5-1 vote. Tax revenue that ends up being a portion of the net-profit is excessive and irresponsible taxation.

Bonner General Health, a separate “private” entity from the POHD, sharing all but one POHD board trustee, has the legal requirement as a “non-profit” to file a Form-990 annually, by May 15. The Form-990 identifies BGH’s annual net-profit. The 2015 Form-990 was signed the day after the 2016 budget increase vote (July 2016), identifies net-profits of $1.28 million, $1.46 million and (2017’s unsigned Form-990) $.953 million in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. Bonner County taxpayers paid $1.03 million, $1.07 million and $1.10 million in hospital tax in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. It’s disappointing that transparency of the 2015 and 2016 net-profit amounts have been withheld from the public and trustees, in consecutive years prior to the budget increase vote.

State Tax Commission – Rule 803, offers the POHD a responsible tax implementation policy. The ability to retrieve last year’s unrealized tax increases, in the tax year subsequent to a budget deficit. Considering that the BGH CEO, Sheryl Rickard, has produced million dollar net-profits annually, which are subsidized by tax payments, it is only appropriate that a motion was offered to amend the 3 percent increase ($33,401.00) to a 0 percent increase. The motion received neither a second, nor a discussion. A responsible single “no vote” on the 3 percent increase resulted.

DAN ROSE

Samuels