Tax will not require hospital to open board meetings

By Cassie Tomlin

Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 | midnight

If voters pass a ballot initiative creating a special tax district to raise money for Boulder City Hospital, the meetings of the non-profit hospital's board of directors likely would remain closed, officials said.

Because the Clark County Commission would be the tax board in charge of administering the funds, the Board of Trustees would not be subject to Nevada Open Meeting law, Mary-Anne Miller, county counsel, said.

"They would in essence be a contractor," she said of the hospital board. "Just because they are utilizing taxpayer funds doesn't mean they'd be subject to open meetings."

A general election ballot question asks voters to annually tax themselves 10 cents per $100 assessed property value to benefit the facility.

The hospital's 11-member Board of Trustees is self-selecting — members vote to appoint other members — and meetings are not open to the public. Agendas and minutes are not posted or made available by request.

At the hospital's final town hall meeting Oct. 9, Nancy Nolette, who drafted a ballot argument against the measure, said the board has no accountability for how it spends money or makes decisions.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer Thomas Maher said afterward the board answers to the state and federal governments for its financial reporting, submitting audited financial reports to the state and IRS annually. An independent, third-party CPA firm performs the audit, Maher said.

"To say we're not accountable is ludicrous," he said. "We have a good board of people who volunteer because their sincere interest is the opportunity, integrity and preservation of the hospital."

At the same meeting, longtime resident Ralph Denton hurriedly voiced support for the hospital, which he noted is as old as the community. The financial security a tax district would provide is what the facility and residents need, he said.

"Citizens ought to be willing to pay if their hearts really are in Boulder City," he said.

He said he opposed the Clark County Commission sitting as the tax board and that a local board should have the responsibility.

Miller said if citizens were concerned about a lack of transparency on the County Commission, the commissioners could transfer the duties and obligations to another board that would be subject to the state Open Meeting Law.

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or cassie.tomlin@hbcpub.com.