Health Care Board To Approach Monterey Aldermen Monday

Monterey may not be following a resolution laying out the responsibilities of the Standing Stone Health Care Board of Trustees.

One problem involves language in a 44-year-old resolution that gives the board financial responsibility and control over the town’s health care facilities. Mayor Bill Wiggins said the board operated as such for several years.

“Somewhere down the line, for some reason, someone on the board of trustees said ‘whoa, we do not want to have any fiscal responsibility anymore,’ so the city took over sole possession of all those funds coming in,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins said another problem involves board membership, as at least three members are not Monterey residents.

“There’s a line in here that says all members are to be residents of Monterey,” Wiggins said. “That would be some language you all (aldermen) might want to change. Why deprive the town of quality representation?”

Members of the Standing Stone Health Care Board of Trustees are expected to discuss the problems during Monday night’s board of mayor and aldermen meeting. Wiggins said the board could ask to resume the fiscal responsibilities outlined in the resolution.

“That means all rental money and collected taxes would come under the responsibility of the health care board,” Wiggins said. “What that would mean is kind of a murky thing right now because that money has always appeared in the financial reports for the town of Monterey. We didn’t have to jump through any hoops to get it.”

Monday night’s meeting will begin at 7 p.m. inside city hall.