Our view: Tri-City's second attempt to pass $596 million bond deserves voters' support

In June's primary election, Tri-City Medical Center came within 404 votes of having its $596 million bond approved. A smarter, more detailed version of that bond is back on the ballot in Carlsbad, Vista and Oceanside. Coastal North County, your health care future is in your hands: Vote yes on Proposition T.

We still need a new hospital in coastal North County. Tri-City's aging facilities need updating, and this bond is its best bet to stay competitive in the tough health care market while meeting a rapidly approaching state deadline for renovating with earthquake safety in mind.

To our great relief and to their credit, members of the hospital district's board of directors have learned from their mistakes. They have addressed almost all of the shortcomings that caused June's Prop. F to fall just short of the 66 percent support it needed.

The $596 million request coming to the Nov. 7 ballot is much more specific about how our tax dollars will be spent, one of its major failings last time around. The bond measure breaks down what will be built when and how much each of its three phases of construction is expected to cost. It also provides much more detail -- including square footage for proposed buildings and how those buildings would be used -- and removes some ambiguity about how its building plans could be changed. Now, a two-thirds vote of the district's board after public discussion would be required before the board could change the bond's scope, budget or location.

The first phase would start at the end of this year and finish up in early 2012. For $366 million, a patient tower and a parking structure would be built while the existing emergency department, surgery wing and central plant would be renovated.

Phase Two would start midway through 2010 and end in late 2012. For $10 million, the hospital would demolish Tri-City's South Tower, North Wing, Center Tower and Center Complex.

Finally, the third phase would start in late 2010 and finish in late 2013. For $226 million, the hospital would build an outpatient services building, finish the new main patient tower and refurbish the hospital's main Pavilion tower, where most of its beds are now.

Best of all, the public will have input about the architectural plans and an Independent Citizens Oversight Committee will follow the district's progress and keep tabs on how our tax money is being spent.

Ah, taxes. No one likes paying taxes, just as no one likes shelling out enormous sums for health care. Yes, Prop. T would ask the average homeowner in Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista to ante up $23.40 per $100,000 of assessed value in annual taxes. That's no small sum in tough times. But that's a price well worth paying to ensure that quality health care has a home in coastal North County.

All of the arguments in favor of passing this bond that were true in June remain today. Such major investments are never easy, and the soaring costs of construction make any further delays costly propositions; it will only grow more expensive to bring Tri-City up-to-date.

This bond is better than before, and the time is right to start work on a new hospital. Recent headlines arising out of Tri-City -- an ill-timed raise proposal for CEO Art Gonzalez, which was wisely scuttled by an evenly split board; new evidence of the rancor among the board that is again bringing private security guards into closed sessions -- are really just minor distractions from the main point: The growing communities of Oceanside, Carlsbad and Vista have outgrown their hospital. This is their chance to invest in a healthy future.

Vote yes on Prop. T.