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For the week of August 8 - 14, 2001

  News

Blaine Manor allocated $1.36 million

Commission approves tentative county budget


By TRAVIS PURSER
Express Staff Writer

The Blaine County Commission approved a tentative overall 2002 county budget of $16.3 million Monday after debating how much to give the county’s financially struggling nursing home, Blaine Manor.

The tentative budgets of each of the county’s other operations were not questioned, but about 20 citizens and Blaine Manor management showed up for the hour-long hearing to voice support for the home’s funding request.

Blaine Manor will tentatively get $1.36 million in 2002. The home’s management had asked for $1.57 million. However, the home’s director, Gail Goglia, said she was satisfied with the approved amount.

Goglia projects that the home will collect about $1.2 million in revenues in 2002. Additional revenue needed to run the home would come from county property taxes.

Following its unanimous vote Monday, the commission may reduce the budget numbers, but not increase them, until early September when it must approve a final budget.

County Clerk Marsha Reiman said the county budget is several million dollars higher than she predicted it would be two weeks ago, because expenditures for construction of a planned courthouse annex were not included then as they are now. That increase primarily accounts for the change compared to last year’s budget of about $13 million. The county has been increasing its budget reserve for five years to pay for the annex.

Specific numbers on projected county revenues in 2002 will not be available until Sept. 10, she said.

While those who manage Blaine Manor were generally satisfied with the amount of funding approved Monday, they told the commission it had created a cash-flow problem in the way it had structured the disbursement of funds.

Blaine Manor trustee Rick Baird, Goglia and others said the home needs more cash at the beginning of the fiscal year to cover expenses while waiting for Medicaid and Medicare payments, which can take from 30 to 90 days after billing to arrive. The commission agreed to add $104,000 to support Blaine Manor in the first four months of the fiscal year.

Because it is expected to lose about $400,000 this year, Blaine Manor’s future has been in doubt. Several attending Monday’s meeting said they were relieved when the commission approved the budget.

Paula King said she has a friend in California who has been waiting for the budget decision before deciding whether to send her mother to Blaine Manor. The friend wanted assurance the home was not about to close.

Goglia said public perception that the home is failing has made it difficult to keep it full, which is important for maintaining revenues. News of the budget approval, along with plans to increase marketing, will help, she said.

Planners for the home have also met with St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center representatives to explore a potential partnership with the hospital. Goglia said the home has at least one proposal from a nursing home management company on the costs and benefits of expanding Blaine Manor to include assisted living.

A decision on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant application for $750,000 is pending as well.

The budgets for some of the other county operations approved Monday include the road and bridge department, which gets $1.6 million; building and grounds, which gets $2.76 million; sheriff’s office, which gets $1.2 million; planning department, which gets $415,988; clerk’s office, which gets $613,998; elections, which gets $38,915; jail, which gets $900,610, and the county fair, which gets $32,400.


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.