Letter to Editor | PHD Costs Less Than Mainland Trips

— from Craig Abolin —

I fully support, and will vote YES for, the establishment of an Orcas Island Public Hospital District (PHD) when I receive the ballot in the mail this coming April.

In order to assure a fair distribution of the PHD taxes to the medical practices on Orcas Island, I will be paying close attention to candidates for the five-member Commission who will be in charge of setting the tax rate every year and distributing those funds to medical practices on our island paradise. I plan to vote for the Commission candidates most likely to fairly support high quality urgent and primary care for all residents and visitors to Orcas Island.

The maximum annual proposed PHD tax for a property with an assessed value of $350K is $262.50. This amount is less than my wife and I spend for trips to the mainland for doctors’ appointments every year. With a PHD, it may eventually be possible to avoid many unpleasant trips off-island for doctors’ appointments.

Because I choose to live on this island, access to health care becomes more of a concern as I age. I feel strongly that a fairly administered PHD for Orcas Island is at least as important as good schools and a Fire Department for the overall well-being of our community. Without a PHD, Orcas Island could not become the paradise it should be.