Disputed Tax Dollars Will Go To Hospital Judge Rules Money From Levy Legally Belongs To The District

Tax dollars held in a special account will be turned over to the East Shoshone Hospital District, a judge decided Friday.

In September, the Idaho Tax Commission filed a suit on behalf of taxpayers, asking the court to decide if the hospital district’s proposed $172,095 levy was legal, since its hospital had been closed for three years.

On Dec. 16, the Silverton hospital, formerly Henry L. Day, reopened as Silver Valley Medical Center. That prompted the tax commission to join the hospital district in asking District Court Judge Craig Kosonen to release the taxes to the district and dismiss the matter.

“Since it now appears unquestionable that the district is operating a hospital, the issue is pretty much moot,” said Ted Spangler, deputy attorney general for the tax commission.

Robin Stanley, board chairman for the hospital district, said it was good to put the matter to rest.

“It’s unfortunate the suit was ever filed. The money it cost could have been better spent providing services,” Stanley said.

The hospital has had an average daily patient count of about 3 for January - well above the expected one-patient average, Stanley said.

To save money, Stanley said he’d hoped the board could re-appoint three incumbent board members to their positions without holding an election. But two candidates did file: John Hull, son of board vicechairman Jack Hull, and Betsy Valerio.