Residents to vote on sales tax for hospital

By | June 22, 2018 at 9:05 PM CDT - Updated March 8 at 8:56 AM

PIGGOTT, AR (KAIT) - Piggott residents will vote July 10 on whether to keep a sales tax dedicated to helping fund the Piggott Community Hospital.

Mayor Jim Poole says citizens are currently paying the one percent sales tax, but it will sunset in 2018.

He said the hospital is growing and serving more people than ever.

However, the hospital still needs around the $30,000 the tax provides them with each year, Poole said.

He said he recently suffered a heart attack and knows exactly what the hospital means to the community.

"We've had over 1,200 visits to our emergency room this year, including me," he said. "You know they save a lot of lives."

He said the hospital and its clinic serve many people in Clay County.

"We have over 21,000 visits a year to our clinics," he said. "So, those are people that would have to go out of town, not just a few."

Mayor Poole said the hospital not only serves local residents, many people from Kennett are also crossing the state line for medical care.

The hospital provides more than 200 jobs to those in the area.

Mayor Poole hopes people consider how valuable the hospital is to Piggott as they vote next month.