When was District established? On Nov. 5, 1946, voters of Redwood City, Belmont, San Carlos, Menlo Park and Portola Valley elected to create the Sequoia Hospital District under newly enacted state laws. Bond issues financed the project at a cost of $2.1 million. Sequoia Hospital was officially dedicated on October 15, 1950
Didn’t the District sell Sequoia Hospital? In 1996, an ALL MAIL BALLOT ELECTION (Measure H) successfully transferred assets specified in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the nonprofit corporation Hospital Acquisition Corporation. (now Sequoia Health Services)
What about the Civil Grand Jury Report regarding the Sequoia Healthcare District? The 2001-2002 Grand Jury found that since the sale of the hospital the District has assumed a role similar to that of a philanthropic foundation, using its tax revenues to make grants to other government and non-profit agencies. This is a function of the District that was never presented to the voters for their approval under 1996 Measure H.
Why did the Board Majority Members plan to abandon the current hospital site, and propose rebuilding near Kaiser and HWY 101? This question is best addressed to the Majority incumbents running for re-election. (Katie Kane and Malcolm MacNaughton) Suffice it to say, that the Referendum effort to prevent this travesty was successful in derailing those plans. Sequoia Hospital is now in good hands of CHW with support from Sequoia Hospital Foundation.
Are people who belong to Kaiser, PAMF , Stanford, etc. paying taxes to support Sequoia? Yes. And that’s one of the main issues. Today, we have a healthy competition of providers which serve District residents. And, they can cooperate to provide healthcare services for residents.
How much are these taxes, and why don’t I see them on my tax bill? Roughly, these taxes amount to ~$15 per $100,000 assessed value. That’s enough to secure the Bonded indebtedness of the Sequoia Union High School District! Ask County Tax Collector Lee Buffington why they don’t appear on your Tax bill.
Doesn’t the District contribute my tax dollars to worthy causes for the benefit of the community? Only you can determine what is worthy. Is subsidizing healthcare_including elective pregnancy termination_of families earning as much as $60,000/yr a worthy cause (the District has committed $1.35 Million/yr to the Children’s Health Initiative)? Are tax subsidies to Planned Parenthood, Catholic Charities, Samaritan House, Jewish Family & Children's Services, etc., worthy? We think you should decide.
If the District stopped collecting taxes, or was dissolved, wouldn’t the taxes they collected simply go to the General Fund? The 2000-2001 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury issued the following:
Recommendation 2.20 The Sequoia Healthcare District should reduce property taxes for district taxpayers unless in a future election district voters approve expenditures for purposes not approved by district voters in the 1946 measure establishing the district or in 1996 Measure H. This reduction would equal the amount expended by the district for purposes not approved by the voters in the 1946 measure or in 1996 Measure H and effectively limit district expenditures to those purposes approved by district voters. By this reduction in property tax receipts to be requested under the Revenue and Taxation Code §96.8, property taxes would be lowered for all district taxpayers.
This is an issue whose complexity is a product of the Legislature. The complexity can be removed by the Legislature. Governor Schwarzenegger seems inclined to follow the lead of the Little Hoover Commission to facilitate the elimination of obsolete government agencies.