LHD board receives 2024 tax rate proposal
The Lavaca Hospital District Board of Directors met Monday and held two meetings.
Regarding the first meeting, Lavaca County tax assessor-collector, Deborah Sevcik reported the district’s tax rate, while Lavaca Medical Center’s chief financial officer Tracy Green presented the 2025 operational budget as well as the three-year (2024-25- 26) forecasted capital equipment budget.
Sevcik presented both the No-New-Revenue (NNR) tax rate and the Voter Approval (VA) rate to the board.
Sevcik said based on her office’s calculation the NNR rate to be .1248 cents per $100 valuation and would generate $1,765,891. She also presented the VA rate of .1413 cents, which would generate $1,993,363.
Following Sevcik’s presentation, the board voted unanimously, by oral voice vote, to propose the VA rate of .1413 cents per $100 valuation.
After accepting the tax assessor’s calculations and voting to propose the VA rate, the board set Wednesday, Aug. 28 as a hearing date.
The special-called public meeting will take place at noon at the conference room of the LMC Health and Wellness Center.
At that meeting, the board is expected to adopt the 2024 tax rate proposal as well as the 2025 operational budget.
Last year’s LHD tax rate was .1280 cents.
Also during the budget meeting, the board also approved the 2025-2026- 2027 Capital Equipment Budget as proposed by Green. In addition, the board approved contract service agreements for 2024, the annual review of public funds investment policy and the community benefits plan annual report for 2024-25.
Following adjournment of the budget meeting, the board met in its regular monthly meeting and heard the nursing staff report presented by LMC nursing director Marlene Irvin.
Administration/Financial Report:
Lavaca Medical Center administrator, Steve Bowen, presented the administration and financial report for July saying he has been in contact with a general practitioner physician, who is interested in coming to LMC.
Bowen said the doctor (Crystal Lopez), who will graduate in June 2025, will be here at LMC on Thursday, Oct. 11 for interviews.
Bowen said he and Dr. Wilkinson have interviewed her via Skype and on Oct. 11, the board can have the opportunity to meet her as well.
Regarding 3rd year medical students, Bowen said Sam Houston State University has given LMC its rotation schedule and the hospital will have around 12 students rotating through the year.
Bowen said there is a rural nursing recruitment retention program that will provide $15,000 to a nurse willing to commit three years to LMC. He said the program has awarded the hospital two of the grants.
In regards to the recently held mass casualty drill, Bowen said, “The drill went very well and we found things we need to work on. It went very well.”
He said they plan to have another one next year.
Bowen said LMC held a career camp with 11 students attending and showing a lot of interest.
He said he expects to have the final drawings on the Physical Therapy/Wellness Center project within two weeks.
The plan is to have it presented to the buildings/grounds committee and he hopes to present it to the board at the September meeting. Bowen said at that meeting the board could vote to send it out for bids.
Bowen informed the board that gastroenterologist physician Dr. Christina Awad started Monday, Aug. 19 in surgery and all went very well. He said she is booked every Monday through October and expects her to be moved to Tuesdays as well at that time.
Bowen said another GI doctor will start in the clinic in the latter part of September and be here on Fridays.
Bowen reported LMC received a $136 thousand dollar broadband grant that will go toward updating the WiFi at the facility.
In the financial report, Bowen said the LMC gross district revenue was down 2% year-to date and other revenue was down 4%.
“July was a lot better than June,” Bowen said.
Regarding the clinic revenue, Bowen said it was up 5% and other revenue was up 33%.
In other action taken by the board:
• Approved the 2024 audit/cost report service proposal.
Board president James Fenner presided over the meeting with board members Rosanne Gallia, Doug Kubicek, Carl Hobbs, Forrest Kroschel and Ronnie Juenke attending the meeting.