THE ATTORNEY FOR WALKER COUNTY, DON OLIVER, SAT DOWN WITH WQCH NEWS THIS WEEK… AND HAD LITTLE TO SAY “ON THE RECORD” ABOUT RECENT EVENTS INVOLVING LITIGATION BETWEEN ERLANGER AND HUTCHESON MEDICAL CENTER.
HE WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DECISION BY THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY BOARD THIS WEEK, TO ACCEPT TERMS OF A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH ERLANGER… AND SAID HE HAS FILED AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST TO GET A COPY OF THAT AGREEMENT.
“WHAT I CAN SAY ON THE RECORD”, OLIVER SAID, “IS THAT WALKER COUNTY HAS NOT EXHAUSTED EVERY MEANS TO PREVENT THE PROPOSED 8.5-MILLION DOLLAR PAYMENT TO ERLANGER HEALTH SYSTEM… AND THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE TAXPAYERS OF WALKER COUNTY IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE”.
WALKER AND CATOOSA COUNTIES SIGNED AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY GUARANTEEING 10-MILLION EACH, IN A LOAN REPAYMENT TO ERLANGER. THAT HAS SINCE DROPPED TO AROUND 8.5 MILLION EACH, DUE TO THE SALE OF SOME OF THE HOSPITAL’S ASSETS.
OLIVER CONCLUDED “I HOPE TO HAVE SOMETHING MORE TO REPORT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS”.
Read more at WQCH.net!