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I have provided a more factual rewrite(below) to the CEO and Board President. I invite you to compare the facts.
10 (11) things you should know about Sequoia Healthcare District
1. We are a tax-funded special district, previously funded to operate a hospital, which has chosen to take advantage of legislatively enabled powers to use those funds to provide health services to the residents of our geographic area.
2. Our geographic area consists of most of East-central and southern San Mateo County and there are approximately 220,000 residents in our jurisdiction.
3. We were formed in 1946 and we were the first hospital district in California. Today there are 78 such districts.
4. In 1994 California law allowed for creation of Healthcare Districts with a broader mission and allowing for operating or not operating a hospital. Most hospital districts took it upon themselves to assume the new title and the associated powers without seeking voter approval.***
5. The District is no longer affiliated with Sequoia Hospital and has not been since 2007 when the hospital became owned by Dignity Health.
6. The District receives 1.3% of the 1% ad valorem property tax limited by Prop 13. For the average homeowner that amounts to about a $100 per year. In total the tax income amounts to about $9 million a year.
7. The District maintains a 100% return policy which means that every dollar of tax income received gets invested in community health programs. Administrative dollars are paid through District reserves.
8. The largest District program is called The Healthy Schools Initiative that works with 8 local school districts that serve more than 30,000 children pre-k through grade 12.
9. The Board Directors of the District are elected officials who can seek re-election every 4 years with no term limits. There are 5 Board members.
10. All District meetings are open to the public and the residents are invited to attend and offer comment or suggestions on any agenda item.
11. Individuals seeking a copy of the digitally recorded meeting can pick it up at the district office the day after the meeting. (per CEO Lee Michelson)
***The likely reason the districts chose not to seek voter approval is that funding would have had to come from an added tax in addition to the 1% tax limited by Prop. 13. Voter approval would have been highly unlikely.
