The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District (KERHD) has adopted its annual budget for 2014, and it includes some good news for taxpayers.

The total budget is $8,740,419, which includes new approvals for $499,936 in capital expenditures and $5,882,642 for the Intensive Care Unit project and the East Kootenay Regional Hospital.

“This budget as adopted shows a zero per cent increase in taxation over last year, which is fantastic news for the citizens of the region,” says KERHD Board Chair John Kettle. “This board has always said that we will tax only for what we need, and for the sixth straight year we have been able to approve new projects without increasing taxes.”

Some of the capital projects for the coming year include the development of an isolation room at the Golden Hospital; Direct Digital Controls replacement at the Sparwood Health Centre (pictured above), a C-Arm, portable x-ray system, cart washer and MRI upgrade for East Kootenay Regional Hospital.

The 2014 budget also includes $388,500 in global grants for projects under $100,000.

This year’s Hospital District tax rate will work out to about $16 per $100,000 of assessed value on a residential property.

The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District covers a large area including the RDEK, the Towns of Creston and Golden as well as their surrounding rural communities. The function of the Hospital District is to provide up to 40% of the funding for equipment and construction projects at health care facilities within the Hospital District, with the remaining cost being covered by Interior Health.

KERHD

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