Teton County hospital to receive $24 million in property taxes

St. John's Health, the largest year-round employer in Teton County, will receive approximately $24 million in property tax revenue next year. This figure represents a doubling of the hospital's previous annual intake, which stood at $12.4 million.

The increase results from two specific ballot measures decided by voters on November 3. First, Wyoming residents voted down a statewide proposal to cut property taxes on residences by 50%. This decision allowed the hospital to retain its base rate of about $12 million. Second, 73% of Teton County voters approved a local measure that added property taxes equal to the amount at stake. By state statute, the hospital automatically receives 3 mills, meaning a property with a market value of $1 million will see an additional $285 in taxes annually.

The new funding arrives as the hospital faces financial pressure from federal budget cuts and rising rates of uncompensated care. St. John's operated at a loss of nearly $12 million in the previous fiscal year, a reduction from a deficit of nearly $19 million the year before. To manage these shortfalls, the hospital previously outsourced some staff payroll and closed or partially closed an inpatient rehab facility and four clinics.

Dr. Pam Cutler, chair of the St. John's Health Board of Trustees, stated that the new funds will help the organization continue its operations. "It's just really a relief," Cutler said. "This will help us immensely to continue to do the good job that we've done." She clarified that the money will allow the hospital to stop operating in the negative, though it is not expected to generate a large profit.

The board has not yet allocated specific portions of the new revenue to individual departments. Cutler noted that the funds will generally support care for patients who cannot pay. "We don't have this money slotted to just be one thing," she said. "In general, we have looked at it as a way of supporting care for people that can't pay or don't pay, because we have a significant amount of that."

In the past year, the hospital also reinvigorated its cancer care plans to create a more reliable income stream. CFO Mitch Watson recently noted to KHOL that services such as maternity care and emergency care do not always break even. A coalition of education and hospital leaders launched a campaign in September to warn of potential service cuts, and Gov. Mark Gordon supported the campaign against the tax relief measure in the final days before the election.

The hospital has now reached the state-mandated legal maximum for its property tax levy. With the new revenue stream secured, St. John's expects to stabilize its finances without resorting to mass layoffs or further critical service closures.