Greene Publishing, Inc.

By Lynette Norris
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Three major themes of the March 22 Madison County Memorial Hospital board meeting were the financial struggles of small hospitals in poor rural areas, how to create more public awareness of the hospital’s work and get that information in to the hands of Madison County citizens, and of course, the new hospital.
Warren Irwin, a member of the public, addressed the board and asked about the hospital’s bad debt problem and what was being done to mitigate it.
Despite the bad debt problem, the hospital is current on its payroll and taxes, if not on general accounts, said Patrick Halfhill. When it comes to bad debt, the hospital tries for six months to collect before turning the account over to a collection agency. However, in the second poorest county in the state with high unemployment, “it’s a constant struggle,” he said. “We try to get (patients) to go to the health department and sign up for Medicaid, but we can’t do it for them.”
Bad debt is not unique to MCMH, added Hospital CEO David Abercrombie. The entire state of Florida ranks 47th in poor financial performance of small rural hospitals, and Madison County is one of four counties with a “persistent poverty” designation. Small hospitals also have no bargaining power with insurers and other payment providers.
When it comes to indigent care, Board Chairman Ben Harris said, “Our hands are tied. By law, when someone walks into that emergency room, we have to do an evaluation.”
In addition to poverty and high unemployment, the county population also ranks number one in diabetes, stroke, hypertension, and several types of cancers, including colorectal cancer. When discussing whether or not to continue the endoscopy program (providing the vital service of diagnosing colorectal cancer) despite losing money on it, Harris spoke of a decision that was “very easy business-wise, but morally it’s very difficult…we’re caught between the extreme medical and the extreme financial.”

Also, Medicaid now flags 100 percent of endoscopy procedures for review, stretching a two-week pay cycle into three months.
Tommy Hardee from the Hospital Foundation spoke about the need for getting information in front of the public. The Foundation has planned a series of three dinners for three separate groups of up to 100 people in order to get the information out to as many as possible. The youth group of the First United Methodist Church would serve the dinner in the fellowship hall where the Hospital Board would do a PowerPoint presentation of the audited financials and explain the purpose and progress of the new hospital. There was also a suggestion of holding at least some of the monthly board meetings, perhaps one per quarter, in other areas of the county such as Greenville or Lee, giving more citizens a chance to attend.
When it came to the new hospital, Abercrombie presented floor plan drawings and reported that the Agency for Health Care Administration had completed the stage one review and approved the plan. The next stage is working in the engineering components (IT system, nurse call system, HVAC system, etc.), a process expected to be completed in June.
The new facility would focus on family care and treating the whole patient. It will have a physical therapy department that could in the future expand to other types of therapy such a respiratory therapy.
Abercrombie then said that one thing that might help with the immediate cash flow problem was the new electronic record system; it would mean fewer dropped or lost charges for services, as well as getting invoices out to patients in a timely manner. The hospital will switch to the new system over a period of five days beginning April 1, and the board expects the new system to pay for itself in the first three months. Further into the future, the new facility would be reimbursed for 100 percent depreciation for every square foot devoted to patient care, bringing in more money once the new facility is up and running.
Also in the works is a joint luncheon meeting between the MCMH board and the County Commission, where the board will present the PowerPoint presentation and fill the commissioners in on what the hospital is presently doing. The meeting is planned for April 6 at noon, but the location has yet to be determined.

There were three volunteers from the Big Bend who were honored with the “Most Outstanding Neighboring County Volunteer” Award during United Way of the Big Bend’s Campaign Finale at Goodwood Museum and Gardens March 15. From left to right are: Willy Gamalero (Madison County Community Bank, Madison County), Sherry Vanlandingham (Premier Bank, Gadsden County), Mark O’Bryant (2010 UWBB Campaign Chair and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare President and CEO), and Richard Huth (Doctors’ Memorial Hospital, Taylor County).

By Kristin Finney
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Willy Gamalero was honored as the Most Outstanding Community Volunteer of the Year. This honor was given to him at the wrap-up party for the 2010 United Way of the Big Bend Campaign. The Madison team, chaired by Gamalero and two other counties, were chosen from seven counties to receive this honor.
Gamalero has represented the Madison County United Way team, as their Chairman for two years. He is also the President of the Kiwanis Club of Madison. He mentors students at Madison County Central School and leads devotionals for the Madison County High School baseball team. He is also a part of the Relay for Life Committee by sponsorship, a Deacon at Fellowship Baptist Church and a T-ball coach. To say that Gamalero is community-minded is an understatement.
Madison County has always been known for its small town charms and community-driven attitude. Now, thanks to Willy Gamalero and the rest of the United Way of the Big Bend team, Madison is also known as one of the most giving communities in Florida. Nestle Waters of Madison also received a Leadership Giver Award at the wrap up party. This award represents eight individuals who gave at least $1,000 to the Madison County United Way Campaign.
“I feel that I am called to serve people and being able to volunteer within my community does just that! Receiving this award is humbling because I did not serve as the Chair of Madison United Way to bring recognition to me, but to help other people,” said Gamalero.
Willy Gamalero graduated from Jefferson County High School in 1995. In 1998, he received an AA Degree from North Florida Community College.  Then in 2000, he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Florida State University. He has been married to his wife Melissa for 10 years, and they have two beautiful sons. Gabe, 6, and Ben, 3. He has been a Financial Advisor for Madison County Community Bank for three years.

Leigh Barfield, Madison County Property Appraiser would like to make all homestead property owners aware that because of the Save Our Homes recapture rule they will face higher assessed values on their properties this year, even though they have faced overall declining market values.
For the past few years now, lawmakers are setting their sights on elimination of the recapture rule. The Save Our Homes (SOH) Amendment has previously protected homeowners when the market was increasing, but in current times of the declining market our office has had a challenge to explain why homestead property continue to increase.
Madison County has over 4,300 homestead parcels that enjoy the SOH benefits. In 2011 these homeowners will see a 1.5 percent increase in their assessed value.
In 1992, SOH Amendment was adopted. It protected homestead properties by capping their assessed values at the Consumer Price Index(CPI) or at three percent, whichever is lower. A few years ago a savings was found by homeowners with the skyrocketing property market.
But now that the market is showing some decline, the cap remains in effect, increasing each year and recapturing the saving benefit that homeowners have accumulated. The increases from this pool of value will increase each year until the assessed value reaches market (just) value.
Florida law requires the percentage increase determined each year, being 1.5% for 2011. Leigh would like to encourage property owners to contact their local legislators to express their opinion on this matter.
The efforts to change the rule have failed in the last few years, but now that the state has elected Governor Rick Scott who pledged to cut property taxes, there is speculation that some kind of reform will be passed this year.
Several bills have been filed currently. Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 210, sponsored by Senator Mike Fasano seeks to amend the Florida Constitution to prohibit increases in the assessed value of homestead property if the fair market value of the property decreases. If approved by lawmakers, the bill would go before the Florida voters at the next general election or at an earlier special election specifically authorized for that purpose.
This proposal specifically states that “an assessment may not increase if the just value of the property is less than the just value of the property on the preceding January 1.”
Analysis by legislative committee states the financial impact if approved by the Legislature would require 60 percent voter approval and would not go into effect until January 1, 2013.
The committee noted that, “It has been argued that the recapture rule diminishes the existing inequity between property assessments over time. To the extent that this view is adopted, taxpayers may argue that the elimination of the recapture rule creates a stronger argument for an Equal Protection Clause violation. If this argument is made, the court would need to determine whether the components of this joint resolution are rationally related to a legitimate state interest.”
Under the rational basis test, according to the committee, “a court must uphold a state statute so long as the classification bears a rational relationship to a legitimate state interest.”
Per the committee, if voters were to approve the measure, the taxes of taxpayers whose homesteads have depreciated but who are still assessed at less than just value would be reduced.
“The joint resolution would redistribute the tax burden,” the committee found. “It may benefit a homestead property that has a “Save Our Homes” differential; however, non-homestead and recently established homestead property will pay a larger proportion of the cost of local services. To the extent that local governments do not raise millage rates, taxpayers may experience a reduction in government and education services due to any reductions in ad-valorem tax revenues”.
The committee further noted that, “When addressing similar legislation filed last year, the Revenue Estimating Conference determined that the fiscal impact on ad-valorem revenues, if the joint resolution was approved by the voters, would have been an $11 million reduction in 2011-12 and a $37 million recurring reduction for school purposes, and an $87 million recurring reduction for all levies.”
Also, based on the required newspaper publication of any amendment or revision in the 10th and again in the 6th week immediately preceding the week of the election, the committee reported that the Division of Elections within the Department of State estimated that “the full publication costs to advertise this constitutional amendment to be $190,733.58.” All four bills that lawmakers introduced last year to amend Florida’s Constitution to prohibit automatic increases in the assessed values of homestead properties if their fair market values decreased died in committees.
The little known and often misunderstood recapture rule instructs property appraisers to raise the assessed values of homestead homes up to the three-percent cap, even if the home values have stayed the same or decreased during a given year.
The anomaly virtually went unused and unnoticed until the onset of the 2007 recession, when property values plummeted. To their dismay, innumerable homeowners across the state suddenly found their property taxes going up, even as the market values of their properties remained static or plummeted. It was then the outcry for change began.
Proponents of the recapture rule argue that the rule is doing precisely what it was designed to do, and say it’s only fair that local governments recapture’ the savings that homestead homeowners accumulated during the economy’ booming years.
For citizens wanting to weigh in on the debate, Leigh encourages them to contact Senator Charles Dean at (850) 487-5017; Senator Bill Montford, (850) 487-5004; and Representative Leonard Bembry, (850) 973-5630.

Madison County Sheriff Ben Stewart reports that on Sunday, March 6, at approximately 9 a.m., Madison County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an animal complaint involving the theft of livestock at 2120 Open Sands Loop in Greenville.

Joshua Wayne Odom

The owner of the livestock located the area where a calf had been drug from the field and into a wooded area and freshly slaughtered. Upon the deputy’s arrival and a search of the area, the suspect was located in the wooded area and fled on foot with what appeared to be a rifle in hand. Assistance was requested from the Madison Department of Corrections canine team in an attempt to track the suspect. The suspect was not located at the scene.
The investigation continued with identifying the suspect and the arrest of Joshua Wayne Odom, 23, of Greenville.
Joshua Wayne Odom was arrested and charged with the following:
1.     Animal cruelty
2.    Possession of firearm during commission of Felony
3.    Grand theft of livestock
4.    Trespass while armed