EvergreenHealth is our not-for-profit public hospital founded by the community to serve you and your family as your primary healthcare provider, in the event of a personal medical emergency, or when a natural disaster strikes. Prop 1 is critical to our hospital’s ability to serve us, which is why the publicly-elected Board of Commissioners listened to voters and made sure approving Prop will not increase your tax rate for EvergreenHealth.

Prop 1 is primarily a safety measure, with over 60% used to seismically retrofit our oldest buildings and replace aging 1970’s-era infrastructure at the core of the hospital. This is critical to EvergreenHealth continuing to function and serve the community after a major natural disaster.

Remaining funds will be used for relocating and upgrading the existing 1985 Critical Care Unit so patient rooms are able to accommodate vital modern equipment; constructing a medical building for programs like outpatient mental health; upgrading the outdated Maternity Center; and providing life-saving medical equipment.

EvergreenHealth has been designated a Top 100 hospital in the United States since 2017 by Healthgrades, a national quality ranking system. Please support your public hospital by approving Prop 1. For more information visit ApproveEvergreenHealth.com.

A community hospital was not financially viable in 1967. The area was a lightly populated, mid to lower income suburban-rural community. Taxpayers stepped up to start Evergreen Hospital District. Over the year’s taxpayers contributed almost half a billion dollars to build the campus and support operations.

Your 2019 hospital levy is $18,000,000 plus bond payments on $40,000,000 for the hospital tower. District residents receive no special services and pay the same rates for care at Evergreen as other hospitals and out-of-area patients. Less than half of district residents use Evergreen. What do you get for your tax dollars?

Today our community is one of the richest in the state. Why isn’t Evergreen paying its own way like other hospitals? The board uses your tax dollars to compete with other area hospitals that don’t levy taxes. Board operations are not transparent, meetings are not recorded, meeting materials are incomplete, minutes are brief and uninformative, citizen comment is restricted.

The board is asking for the largest bond ever, $345,000,000. With interest this would cost approximately $505,000,000. Proposition 1 will double your hospital district bond tax and extend payments through 2040. Tell the board it is time for a new direction. Vote No.

EvergreenHealth is a public hospital with elected Commissioners who answer to you. That’s why Prop 1 was written to make critical earthquake improvements to aging buildings and equipment, without raising your tax rates. Prop 1 opponents say our community should not have a public hospital, because not everyone in the district uses it. We disagree – quality healthcare needs to be available in emergencies. Approve Prop 1: Our community needs EvergreenHealth to be here for us.

Submitted by: Shirley Ferguson, Barbara Jensen, Karlyn Huddy, ApproveEvergreenHealth.com

The claim that your taxes will not increase is untrue. The Assessors ‘Landscape’ program clearly shows your capital bond debt retirement will double https://localscape.property/#kingcountyassessor/ and the bond repayment term is extended 15 years.

Critical infrastructure can be moved to the new hospital tower. The failed April Proposition 1 election campaign was entirely funded with $310,000 from the EvergreenHealth Foundation. Hardly what donors expected. We want Evergreen to succeed but taxpayers are not a bottomless piggybank.

Submitted by: David Maehren, Paul Hess, www.EvergreenNo.com

Complete text of measure

60% yes vote with minimum turnout of 56,283 voters (Wash. Const. art. VII, sec. 2(b))

For questions about this measure, contact: Cheryl Chamberlin, Communication Assistant, 425-899-2613, cmchamberlin@evergreenhealth.com