Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2012)
Harvest underway in Morrow County 11 l l 1 1 1 1 • 1111 •• II111 • 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 'I I Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403 5<K A combine near North Lex shears wheat fields during harvest on Tuesday. W hile some farm ers were able to begin harvest more than a week ago, others are just now able to get under way. -Photo by David Sykes High to file for county commissioner Announces he will run as an independent VOL. 131 N 0 . 29 8 Pages Wednesday, July 25, 2012 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon IRS Catch 22 could affect health district’s tax-exempt status By April Sykes The status of two grants which would assist in fund ing Morrow County Health District’s proposed Irrigon M edical Clinic remodel has been jeopardized by a dispute between the IRS and the health district. According to MCHD CEO Michael Blauer and C hief Financial Officer Nicole Mahoney, the dis trict’s tax-exempt status is in jeopardy because of an IRS paperwork Catch 22. She said that the district has a letter from the IRS saying that the district is tax exempt; however, the IRS has failed to update their records. “It’s their error,” said Mahoney, who added that it cannot be disputed that MCHD is a tax-exem pt organization. She said that the district, because it is a governmental entity, is not required to file IRS form 990, which is an income and expense report for tax exempt organizations, and consequently has not filed the 990 with IRS. However, the IRS is stuck on the issue that MCHD has not filed the 990, even though MCHD is not required to because it is a governmental entity. “Our opportunity to gamer the money (for the clinic construction) is se verely compromised,” she said. Mahoney said she has contacted the IRS almost daily to no avail, indicating that the issue is in some sort of IRS limbo. “All it would take is someone going on their computer and clicking a button,” said Blauer. Mahoney said that she had told Blauer that they might need legislative help in resolving the issue. Board chairTarry Mills and board member Leann Rea advised Mahoney to contact Senator Ron Wyden to assist. Blauer said that the clinic remodel has been set back a bit with construction “hopefully” to get under way in September and "pos sibly” completed sometime in January. Mahoney said that the current situation with the IRS may result in the district having to borrow more money to complete the project. The district had applied for construction grants from the Meyer Me morial Trust and the Ford Foundation, both of which require tax-exempt status. Mahoney said that MCHD has received notification that it has USDA approval concerning the district’s request to incur the debt. Also at the meeting, the board approved a tempo rary easement for the city of Heppner so that ODOT can construct a sidewalk and do drainage work on the street in the front of the hospital. The board also approved a permanent easement for an ODOT project in the rear-of the hospital, on the comer of Pioneer and Thompson streets. No water, sewer or power issues were involved in either project. This con struction is in conjunction with a larger ODOT road project in Heppner. In other business, the board: -heard from Blauer that the MCHD electronic re cords system has undergone a significant test, which is a big step in the process of transferring from paper to electronic records and a step closer to receiving governmental reimburse ment for expenses incurred in the switch. He said that the system seems to be ll'S ALMOST FAIR & RODEO TIME.1 1 I ■ working; however. Director of Nursing Services Molly Rhea added that a lot of the systems recently went down, but then subsequent ly recovered. The transfer from paper to electronic records is a governmental mandate. -learned from Blauer that Family Care (Medic aid contractor for the state of Oregon) has withdrawn its application to become a coordinated care organiza tion (CCO) for Umatilla and Morrow counties and instead GOBHI (Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc.) and ODS (Oregon Dental Service) are jointly forming a CCO. Their joint organization, Eastern Or egon C oordinated Care Organization, has been con ditionally approved as a CCO. CCOs, which would manage care for Medicaid patients, would disburse a set amount for each patient, which would cover all types of care, from health care to dental care to psychological care. This is designed to improve Medicaid patients’ care by assuring that they have adequate and consis tent primary care, thereby improving their health and consequently saving money by reducing hospital stays and emergency room visits, at least in theory. However, many details concerning CCOs have yet to be re solved. It has not yet been determined how MCHD will be affected; however, with its critical access des ignation, the district has been assured of cost-based reim bursem ent through 2014, says Mahoney. -received the follow ing report for June: Pio neer Memorial Clinic had Leann Rea will have some company in the race for Morrow County Com missioner this fall. Heppner resident Cody High has re ceived the Indpendent Party nomination and plans on filing as a candidate for the commissioner position. The G azette-T im es asked High the same ques tions given to the other commissioner candidates before the primary elec tions. (See the April 25, 2012 edition for Leann Rea’s responses.) Here’s what he said: Cody High Age: 27 Place o f birth: Coun cil, ID Where have you lived? New Meadows, ID from 1985-1989; Klamath Falls, OR, 1989-2003; H epp ner, February 2003-August 2003; Klamath Falls, Au gust 2003-2007; Seattle, WA, 2007-2008 and Hep pner, 2008 to now. E d u c a tio n a l b a c k ground I’m a graduate of Heppner High School. Family: Not married; no children. What, if any, prior gov ernment experience do you have? Two years serving for the Heppner City Council. Why do you feel you are better qualified than your opponent to represent the people o f Morrow County as com m issioner? As a court adequately represents minimum-wage, working- Morrow County residents, class citizen of our county both north and south ? Geo 1 have a different perspec graphically, yes. The issues tive than our current that come before com m issioners. 1 the county affect believe that during all o f us; it does my time on Hepp- not matter where a ner’s City Council I commissioner lives have shown a level as long as they are head, a common- liste n in g to the sense approach to people. I______ L the issues, and a Do you think Cody High willingness to lis the present distribu ten to and consider tion o f tippage fees individuals’ complaints and is equitable, or should the concerns. county change the way tip- What is the biggest page money is distributed? problem fa cin g Morrow I would have to review the County government in the budget to give a complete future? Lack of funds. The answer but, yes, 1 would state has had budget prob like to see the distribution lems, which has led to less of the tippage fee change. money com ing into our However, this may not be county and little to no mon possible for some time, due ey for our cities. This has to to current financial woes change, or our county will and budgeting practices. Do you think the county not be a place to develop, work or live. should change its charter What will be your first and/or the number o f elect priority i f you are elected as ed commissioners? I am commissioner? First, meet unaware of the county char ing with department heads ter, or even if one exists, so and getting to understand I do not know if it needs the issues that are going be changed. I do know that the fore the county court. Sec current budget could not af ond, I would like to review ford any more commission past policies and the budget ers. If a time came when the to understand where we are, budget was healthy enough how we got here, and where and the county was larger, we can and should go in the I would be open to discus coming years. sions about adding two Do you feel the current more commissioners. Hail storm does damage -See MCHD TAX STATUS/ PAGE FIVE A view from the Morrow County Courthouse toward Heppner’s Main Street during last week's hail storm. Vehicles around the area received broken windows and dents during the July 17 storm; roof damage was also reported in some places, as well as minor crop issues. All in all. though, the county emerged largely unscathed from a storm that hammered the area with D T " E « » “ » * C ounty F air ft hailstones some witnesses said were as large as ping-pong balls. -Contributedphoto R odeo is coming soon and c ONCE AGAIN THE HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIM ES WILL BE PUBLISHING ITS ANNUAL S pecial F air ft R odeo edition . The special edition, which contains Fair & Rodeo articles, schedules and events, will be published August 8 The deadline to be included in the edition is July 31. If you would like to advertise or submit articles for The Special Fair Edition, contact Megan at The Heppner-Gazette-Times, 541-676-9228 or megan@rapidserve net A T,M ( GG.WífcfcNiFfcLÜiA, S E E D .IN iH E IT N E K NURSERY STOCK MUST GO!!] t30% OFF . ¿f i Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed ^ 4 ^ A ^ ln d n r^ Jfty jjJ3 n g g n o ^ ^ 6 7 ^ 9 4 2 2 ^ 9 8 9 ^ 2 2 ^ M C O ^ n a ln o fn c j^ \
