Polls close for Pullman special election today
Bond would fund $29.1 million for hospital project
Voters will decide if Pullman Regional Hospital will receive funding for an overall $40 million project today.
April 23, 2019
Tuesday is the last day Pullman residents can vote on a special election ballot, which will decide on a $29.1 million bond for a project at Pullman Regional Hospital.
Megan Guido, PRH director of marketing, said the project will cost about $40 million, and will be partially funded by the $29.1 million bond. The remaining $11 million will come from donations and the hospital.
A property tax on the ballot would fund the $29.1 million bond, she said. There would be a 99-cents tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
The proposed project would aim to create a community-wide electronic medical record, reconfigure hospital space and upgrade medical equipment and technology, Guido said.
Another component of the project would be the addition of a three-story, 45,000 square foot pavilion, which would offer medical services, care coordinators, physicians and a possible day care program, she said.
Sandy Jamison, Whitman County auditor, said people can walk in and drop off their ballots between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Whitman County Election Center in Colfax.
Jamison said the voting center at Pullman City Hall will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
People can also put their ballots in one of the drop boxes across the Old Post Office, outside the CUB entrance on the WSU campus and the one in the Clerk’s office located in Pullman City Hall, Jamison said.
Drop boxes in Pullman will be closed at 8 p.m., Jamison said.
Guido said it is important for everyone to vote, including students who utilize hospital services.
Registered voters can also mail-in their ballots as long as they are postmarked by tomorrow, she said.
Anonymous • Apr 23, 2019 at 9:12 pm
Vote no. PRH cannot even manage their clinic network properly. They should get their house in order before expanding further. Leadership leaves a lot to be desired at this organization and as a public hospital it should be run as such but it’s being run as if it were a private religious hospital. Those who practice for this organization are of quality and deliver excellent care but management is doing nothing but perpetuating a train wreck.
Jeff Hanson • Apr 23, 2019 at 8:36 am
Please vote no. Pullman Regional charges more than enough to run and improve itself, if it cannot it’s poorly managed and shouldn’t be handed millions more to poorly manage.