3-cent Hillcrest levy may go to voters

McCOOK, Neb. -- Ballot language is being drafted for a 3-cent levy that may be added onto the Red Willow County property tax levy.

Vesta Dack, Red Willow County Commissioner, told the Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees Tuesday morning at its regular meeting that Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood is coming up with the ballot language for a 3-cent tax that would go to Hillcrest Nursing Home.

The 3-cent levy would be used only for maintenance and upkeep of Hillcrest Nursing Home, Dack said, and not for salaries. How much revenue would be collected for Hillcrest by the levy and how long the levy will last has not been discussed yet by the commissioners.

Red Willow County Commissioners have until Sept. 1 to approve the ballot language, for it to be on the November election.

If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the levy would help ease financial burdens at Hillcrest. Administrator Colinda Nappa said Monday morning at the trustee meeting that the levy could be used for such things as roofing or the purchase of new equipment.

The current levy for the county is nearly 30 cents, at 0.294979. With the three cent tax, the levy would be 32 cents, or 0.324979.

The levy for the City of McCook is 0.319044. The levy for the McCook School District general fund is 0.951113, with the school bond at 0.82996, for a total of 1.781073.

Hillcrest is county-owned but operates on its own revenue. It takes about $70,000 to $90,000 a month to meet operational costs at Hillcrest, Nappa told Red Willow County Commissioners last year. The facility has been challenged with money woes in the past, when the county borrowed $1 million in 2012 to cover Hillcrest expenses because three months of Medicare and Medicaid claims were not filed after a billing clerk was terminated. The facility has been making payments on that, as well as payments on a 20-year, $2.3 million construction bond that was used for improvements at Hillcrest. The bond was recently re-structured in June by the commissioners, for lower interest payments.

Hillcrest officials have been doing what it can to remain self-sustaining, by raising room rates and being approved by the Veteran Administration for reimbursement for veteran care. In November of 2014, Hillcrest Board of Trustees reluctantly approved writing off nearly a quarter of a million dollars in outstanding debt the facility was unable to collect and in 2015, hired an attorney to collect about $500,000 of payments still due to the facility.