The Pajaro Valley Health Care District board voted unanimously to authorize the issuance of a general obligation bond, which was put before voters on the March 5, 2024 ballot. We await the official results on April 2, when the Santa Cruz County Elections Department will certify the vote.

If approved by voters in the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which spans from Aptos in the north to Pajaro in the south, the $116 million bond program would be used to improve the quality of healthcare at Watsonville Community Hospital; expand and renovate the emergency room; upgrade imaging systems including X-rays, MRI and CT scanners; replace aging roofs and plumbing; and purchase the hospital property to save approximately $3 million a year on rent that could be used to modernize the facility and expand services.

The proposed measure would mean an additional estimated $24 annual tax per $100,000 of assessed valuation. It is based on assessed value, not market value of the property.