JACKSON, Wyo. — Votes will be cast this November on a few different mill levy items, and one of them decides whether or not to increase the Hospital District’s mill levy from three mills to six. A mill, which is a metric used to calculate property taxes due, equals $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.
For example, for a homeowner with a $1 million home, doubling the levy would add roughly $285 a year, according to the St. John’s website. The hospital’s share is currently about 5% of the overall countywide levy.
Organizations in support of the levy increase, such as Support Your Hometown Hospital, lobby that the mill levy “provides stable, local funding” and “helps recruit and retain the medical professionals needed to serve out community.”
The ask for the increase comes from St. John’s Health, which has levied three mills since 1976. The hospital has used funds from the mills to “provide essential services and to cover uncompensated care,” which includes covering some bills for charity care and patients who don’t have the ability to pay.
Teton County Assessor Mel Shinkle said most conversations her office has with property owners about tax bills center on exemptions and which ones they might qualify for.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know if many property owners understand who can assess mills, or how they affect their tax bills,” Shinkle said.
Before filling out a ballot, Shinkle told Buckrail, the key thing is knowing where the money goes.
“I think most understand the schools — and they understand that the state is required to fund the schools no matter what,” Shinkle said. “However, I’m not sure they understand that their taxes also pay for things such as their library, fair, pathways, rec center, animal shelters, fire trucks, parks, hospital.”
Election day is Nov. 3.
