Regional hospital board OKs $34.4-million provisional budget

Posted on November 7, 2014 in City // 0 Comments

NEWS/ HEALTHCARE — A $34.4-million 2015 provisional budget has been approved by the Thompson Regional Hospital District board, up $16 million from 2014.

RIH trees will be replaced with a building that will look something like this. (Image from RIH Master Plan)

Clinical Services Building. (Image from RIH Master Plan)

Included in the 2015 expenditures is partial funding for the clinical services building at Royal Inland Hospital along with provisions for capital projects, minor equipment and carry forward projects.

The capital reserve balance at the end of the 2015 fiscal year will be $4.2 million.

The 2015 residential tax rate for the TRHD will remain the same as it was in 2014 — $127 for the average house. 2014 will be the last year of increases in taxes in keeping with a three-year strategic direction provided by the board in 2012 to increase taxes by about $21 per year for the average house.

The TRHD also approved a bylaw for cost-sharing ($788,196 of $1,970,490) with the Interior Health Authority (IHA) for minor equipment in facilities within Kamloops, Ashcroft, Barriere, Chase, Clearwater, Lillooet, Logan Lake and Merritt.

Each fall the IHA presents a list of minor equipment it wants the TRHD to cost share at 40 per cent.