Tavares, FL - Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013
You don't have to go, but you can get the agenda and details here:
http://www.northlakecountyhospitaldistrict.org/home/
The meeting is at 5:30 pm at the Lake County Admin. building at 315 W. Main St. in Tavares. The Board already had the required first of two meetings to set the new annual property tax millage rate and budget for 2014. This is the second meeting tonight.
As they have for the last 40 years, the Board rubber stamped the maxiumum rate of 1 mill, and a budget of about $9-million.
The Board will also allocate the budgeted proceeds among 5 clinics and the two large hospitals in North Lake County, Waterman & LRMC.
Finally, Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointment of a 29 year old, Elizabeth Kallop, who just moved to Florida in March as his choice to fill a vacancy on the Board that makes decisions on $9-million of North Lake County taxpayer funds. He ignored another LOCAL long time resident and well known volunteer, Norm Knighton, who was supported in writing by the Chair of the Lake County Republicans and several other local citizens. In my opinion, there was some back door dealings and I assume she was a favorite of the hospitals who wanted another Board member to continue rubber stamping their funding requests. Her application form (obtained via a public records request) stated one of her references was Dan Roebuck, a well known attorney connected with Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC). So, we now have a 29 year old without any Florida experience on the Board. The result is that five of the six Board members are considered Hospital supporters and not representatives of the taxpayer.
Vance Jochim
