Renew, Refocus, and Reform the Sequoia Healthcare District

By John McDowell

The Sequoia Healthcare District no longer owns Sequoia Hospital, but it still collects your property taxes and acts like a private foundation in distributing them to favored interests.

Consequently, I believe we should Renew, Refocus, and Reform the District.

1. Renew taxpayer support for the new philanthropic and private foundation purposes of the District through a district-sponsored referendum. If not confirmed, taxes not used by the District will revert to struggling school districts, strapped cities, and county.

2. Refocus District funds on programs available to all property taxpayers, not narrowly targeted grants. The District should no longer fund clinics outside the District or train nurses for other counties and states. The Affordable Care Act now subsidizes children's health insurance, should the District as well?

3. Reform District governance. The board retroactively increased the Executive Director's pay (supervises one fulltime employee) to more than the governor's, and granted itself a Cadillac health insurance plan worth over $15,000 per year for each Director. It treats your taxes as its own personal philanthropic playground. It's time for reform.

The Civil Grand Jury investigated the District five times, concluding it should reduce property taxes, correct public misinformation, and questioning its representing the healthcare interests of citizens. I agree with these recommendations by the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury.

I ask for your vote to Renew, Refocus, and Reform the Sequoia Healthcare District.