Towns pay ID hospital tax, aid St. Luke's

When voters in rural Weiser went to the polls in November, the vast majority gave their blessing to St. Luke's Health System's takeover of their local hospital - and agreed to continue paying a special tax to support that hospital. St. Luke's expects the acquisition to take place this spring. It will be the third time in five years that Boise-based St. Luke's has acquired a hospital from a taxing district. The first was a McCall hospital in 2010. The second was a Mountain Home hospital in 2013. Each of those hospitals was a community medical center - a public facility supported by local property taxpayers and overseen by elected boards.