MONROE - The preliminary 2011 Green County budget calls for the county to exceed the revenue limit by about $886,000 to help cover costs for Pleasant View Nursing Home.
The amount of money could change when the final budget is passed next week.
The Green County Board of Supervisors will have a budget hearing and vote on the county's proposed $41.9 million budget at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Green County Courthouse.
Pleasant View's budget of approximately $10.5 million is about 25 percent of the county's budget.
This would be the second year the county exceeded the revenue limit to help pay for the nursing home.
In October 2009, county residents voted by a 3-to-1 margin to allow the county to exceed the property tax levy limit by up to $890,000 a year for the next five years to fund the nursing home.
In 2010, the county board voted to exceed the revenue limit for the nursing home by $819,000.
The Green County Board of Supervisors plans to use $886,782 to help pay for Pleasant View Nursing Home in 2011.
Terry Hensel, Pleasant View Nursing Home director, said some of the $886,782 in the 2011 budget will help the nursing home make up part of the difference between the cost of care and the amount of money received to care for Medicaid residents.
The county receives less money from the federal government for Medicaid patients, putting more pressure on the budget. About 80 percent of the approximately 120 residents at Pleasant View are on Medicaid. The remaining 20 percent of residents at the nursing home are either on Medicare or privately pay for their care.
Some of the $886,782 will be used for maintenance projects and equipment. Hensel said that over the past few years, some projects and equipment purchases were put on hold because there wasn't enough money in the nursing home budget.
"There was an effort to run the nursing home in the most cost effective manner," Hensel said. "It wasn't anyone's fault that these things weren't done."
However, putting the maintenance and purchases on hold didn't mean the problems would go away, she added.
"Now we have to do them," she said. "We don't have a choice."
The nursing home is more than 40 years old and maintenance work needs to be done on windows, doors and the exterior of the building to make it more energy efficient. Maintenance also needs to be done to the parking lot, and the boiler and water system needed to be replaced.
Planned equipment purchases include such things as a vital sign machine and a bladder scanner.
Hensel said maintenance projects and equipment purchases will help the county save money because they can be paid for now, rather than continuing to cost money for repairs.
Hensel, who became the nursing home director in November 2009, has tried to reduce expenses at the nursing home.
This year the nursing home made an effort to recruit nurses to work at Pleasant View rather than rely on agencies to provide nurses on a part-time basis.
By hiring nurses, rather than using agencies, the nursing home expects to save about $600,000 in 2010. Last year, the nursing home spent about $900,000 for nurses from nursing agencies. This year, the nursing home spent about $300,000 to hire nurses from nursing agencies.
Hensel was also able to combine two supervisory positions, which saved Pleasant View about $40,000.
The amount of money could change when the final budget is passed next week.
The Green County Board of Supervisors will have a budget hearing and vote on the county's proposed $41.9 million budget at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Green County Courthouse.
Pleasant View's budget of approximately $10.5 million is about 25 percent of the county's budget.
This would be the second year the county exceeded the revenue limit to help pay for the nursing home.
In October 2009, county residents voted by a 3-to-1 margin to allow the county to exceed the property tax levy limit by up to $890,000 a year for the next five years to fund the nursing home.
In 2010, the county board voted to exceed the revenue limit for the nursing home by $819,000.
The Green County Board of Supervisors plans to use $886,782 to help pay for Pleasant View Nursing Home in 2011.
Terry Hensel, Pleasant View Nursing Home director, said some of the $886,782 in the 2011 budget will help the nursing home make up part of the difference between the cost of care and the amount of money received to care for Medicaid residents.
The county receives less money from the federal government for Medicaid patients, putting more pressure on the budget. About 80 percent of the approximately 120 residents at Pleasant View are on Medicaid. The remaining 20 percent of residents at the nursing home are either on Medicare or privately pay for their care.
Some of the $886,782 will be used for maintenance projects and equipment. Hensel said that over the past few years, some projects and equipment purchases were put on hold because there wasn't enough money in the nursing home budget.
"There was an effort to run the nursing home in the most cost effective manner," Hensel said. "It wasn't anyone's fault that these things weren't done."
However, putting the maintenance and purchases on hold didn't mean the problems would go away, she added.
"Now we have to do them," she said. "We don't have a choice."
The nursing home is more than 40 years old and maintenance work needs to be done on windows, doors and the exterior of the building to make it more energy efficient. Maintenance also needs to be done to the parking lot, and the boiler and water system needed to be replaced.
Planned equipment purchases include such things as a vital sign machine and a bladder scanner.
Hensel said maintenance projects and equipment purchases will help the county save money because they can be paid for now, rather than continuing to cost money for repairs.
Hensel, who became the nursing home director in November 2009, has tried to reduce expenses at the nursing home.
This year the nursing home made an effort to recruit nurses to work at Pleasant View rather than rely on agencies to provide nurses on a part-time basis.
By hiring nurses, rather than using agencies, the nursing home expects to save about $600,000 in 2010. Last year, the nursing home spent about $900,000 for nurses from nursing agencies. This year, the nursing home spent about $300,000 to hire nurses from nursing agencies.
Hensel was also able to combine two supervisory positions, which saved Pleasant View about $40,000.