Testimony from Homer was mostly from South Peninsula Hospital employees who spoke of SPH’s partnership with the Ninilchik clinic and the negative impacts SPH would suffer if it lost the tax revenue from Ninilchik residents. FacebookTwitterEmailPrintFriendly分享A last minute request from Soldotna Assemblyman Dale Bagley could overturn a Tuesday evening vote which would leave Ninilchik residents in the South Peninsula Hospital Service Area. Ninilchik residents who would be affected by the change testified that they’ve been paying the significantly higher mill rate of South Peninsula Hospital since the lines were drawn in 1969, but they live closer to CPH and use Soldotna’s services. During the 1969 vote, Ninilchik residents were overwhelmingly against being included in the SPH service area, but were overwhelmed at the polls by Homer voters. The vote will be taken up for reconsideration at the Assembly’s next meeting in August. If it is approved at that time, the issue will be put to area voters. During closing comments, Bagley requested reconsideration of the vote. Sterling Assemblyman Stan Welles was absent on Tuesday. His vote would break the tie. The vote failed on a 4-4 stalemate with Bagley in the minority. Bagley, Holmdahl, Johnson, and Knopp voted in favor of moving the boundary line closer to the half-way point between Soldotna and Homer, reasoning that residents who live closer to Soldotna should pay their taxes to Central Peninsula Hospital. Asm. Bagley(Soldotna): “I think if I lived in that area all these years, I would be extremely upset and I think I’d like to tell people that live in Homer and other Assembly Members to put yourself in the shoes of people that live in that area. It is a fairness issue and I don’t know how it couldn’t have passed tonight, but I guess everyone has different views in life.”
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