August 7, 2024 Joint Special Session Meeting

The El Paso County, Texas Commissioners Court held a joint special session on August 7, 2024, with the El Paso County Hospital District Board of Managers to discuss and take action on the fiscal year 2025 operating and capital budgets for the Hospital District. Key procurement-related topics included the presentation of a $1.7 billion budget with detailed revenue and expense breakdowns, including net patient service revenue, premium revenue, property tax revenue, and medical claims. The budget assumed a no new revenue tax rate, with property tax revenue projected at approximately $152 million for 2025. The meeting also covered investments in workforce compensation, including a $29 million increase to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and capital projects such as the acquisition of a surgical hospital and the da Vinci 5 Robot. The Hospital District addressed challenges related to federal Medicaid disproportionate share cuts, budgeting conservatively for a potential $20 million reduction. The Commissioners Court approved motions to adopt the fiscal year 2025 operating and capital budgets and the proposed property tax rate, which does not exceed the no new revenue rate. The discussion highlighted the Hospital District's growth in patient volume, market share, and service expansion, as well as ongoing efforts to maintain financial stability and invest in community health services.