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In order to get on the 2010 ballot, West Park would need the OK from two of the county's three municipalities (Cody, Powell and Meeteetse) and then the Park County Commission. The Cody Council took no action Tuesday, opting to wait until it had …
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To expand its emergency room and renovate its facilities, Cody's West Park Hospital is asking for the help of Park County taxpayers.West Park officials approached the Cody City Council Tuesday night asking for their support of a $38.7 million capital facilities tax, the Billings Gazette reported.The sum would be funded by collections from an additional 1-cent sales tax that would need to be approved by county voters.
In order to get on the 2010 ballot, West Park would need the OK from two of the county's three municipalities (Cody, Powell and Meeteetse) and then the Park County Commission. The Cody Council took no action Tuesday, opting to wait until it had public input, according to Jennifer Rosencranse, the city's administrative services director.
West Park officials have not yet met with the Powell City Council, the Meeteetse Town Council or the Park County Commission.
On Wednesday, Powell Mayor Scott Mangold said he needs to hear West Park's pitch — specifically, how the project would benefit Powell residents.
For the past few months, a committee of government officials from across the county has been looking at the possibility of a capital facilities tax for the sole purpose of paying for state-mandated landfill improvements.
They are due to make their recommendations next month. On Wednesday, Commissioner Dave Burke, a member of the committee, said the group is looking at an amount between $10 and $20 million, but has made no final proposal.
The Gazette reported that a figure of $10 million for the landfill was brought up at Tuesday's Cody Council meeting — a recommendation apparently made independent of the landfill work group.
Mangold and the Powell Council have appeared supportive of using a sales tax to pay for new landfill costs instead of further raising garbage rates.
But a sales tax for West Park, whether in addition to or in the place of funding for the landfill, “is going to take a lot of convincing,” Mangold said.
A previous 1-cent facilities tax — which provided $13.2 million for a new Cody library and pools for Powell and Meeteetse — ended last October.
