Hospital Deed Transfer Update

This morning Commissioner Robinson called my office regarding my letter to the editor(s) of both local newspapers concerning the deed transfer scheduled for tomorrow at the BOCC meeting with Tom Barb. Mrs. Robinson's call was to clarify some incorrect information in my letter concerning the Ad Valorem taxes for the new hospital and the final contract that was approved while she was chairwoman. I informed Mrs. Robinson that I had obtained my information from attending all the county workshops on the hospital move as well as contacting Hernando County Government for information relating to the deed transfer. She faxed two pages of the modified contract with Brooksville Regional Hospital language that specifies "Payment in lieu of Taxes " which I summarized below:

• The lessee will continue to pay rent at $300K per annum
• An amount equal the portion of Ad Valorem that would have been paid to Hernando County as modified by the substitution of the new facility for the current hospital site.
• An amount equal to the portion for fire dues for special taxing districts

Per the contract, the aggregate sum of all amount described above shall be referred to Addition Payment. In no way shall the additional payment exceed the full Al Valorem assessment on the new facility .

While speaking with Mrs. Robinson, I asked if this agreement required Spring Hill Regional Hospital & the Pinebrook facility to pay Ad Valorem property taxes with the same type of P.I.L.T. (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement). She was not sure but said if this stipulation did exist that she would fax to my attention right away. I have not received this information and assume that these two facilities will not pay any property tax under the amended lease agreement. I questioned Mrs. Robinson about why this provision to tax Spring Hill Regional and Pinebrook was not negotiated during the re-write of Brooksville Regional's lease and received no conclusive answer to my question. To be fair to Mrs. Robinson, she was one of the two commissioners that voted against the original lease in 1998 because it did not require the payment of Ad Valorem taxes.