West Side Healthcare District Board of Directors will decide next month on whether to pursue a potential ballot measure for November’s midterm elections. Board member Robert Vargas was absent from Monday’s meeting.
The discussion has been an ongoing matter since January, with last month’s meeting focusing on a potential special meeting for further discussion. A follow-up meeting was not held.
Jessica Vived, an attorney from Wagner Helsley PC, said she recommends submitting a proposal through Stanislaus and Merced Counties by July 6, if the district wants a ballot measure for November’s election.
The district has pursued ballot measures in the past, but some have failed to go through as of recent. In each of the last two election cycles, the district has failed to reach the required two-third votes for a parcel tax of $69 per parcel.
With discussion about potential costs of pursuing ballot measure, Board President David Varnell suggested the idea of hiring a grant writer to help the district get grants. Varnell said that it’s a suggestion that he’s recently thought about.
Varnell later asked Leo Landaverde, the district’s finance manager, about how much it cost for the district to push for Measure A in 2024. Landaverde, in response, said he doesn’t remember the exact amount, but estimated it to be within the “low thousands.” He added that legal fees, marketing and community events as other costing factors.
“Given what we know now from prior efforts at a measure, that [it] takes a lot of time and effort,” Landaverde said.
Last September, the board discussed sending a two-page letter to local agencies for financial assistance. Some of the agencies include Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors and Merced County Board of Supervisors.
The letter mentioned the district’s history, where its ambulance services operate and some of the economic setbacks it has faced in recent years. Some of the issues mentioned include adjusting to current economic conditions, the inability to offer a competitive salary to first responders in a rural area and the need to purchase equipment such as new ambulances to assist patients.
The board approved sending the letter to the agencies last October.
