Voters in Bernalillo County this general election will be asked if they are willing to continue a critical investment for The University of New Mexico Hospital. That investment is through a mill levy, which substantially helps operations and maintenance of the hospital, accounting for about 10% of the hospital’s budget.
The UNM Hospital mill levy has a rich history.
UNM Hospital was created in 1952, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs donated land for a hospital, and Bernalillo County agreed to place a mill levy on the ballot every eight years to support the operations and maintenance of that hospital. Bernalillo County voters have voted to support UNM Hospital through the mill levy for the past 72 years.
“Because Bernalillo County voters have continued this investment for seven decades, UNM Hospital has been able to deliver an ROI through expansions of health care services to meet the needs of our growing and aging population, training thousands of health care professionals, and establishing a reliable health care hub in our state for high-quality, safe, compassionate and often complex care.”
What is a mill levy?
To put it simply, a mill levy is a property tax. The dollar amount of the tax paid is based on a “mill,” which is $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value of the property. The taxable value is one-third of the property’s assessed value. Bernalillo County collects property taxes not only to support UNM Hospital, but also to support the City of Albuquerque, Albuquerque Public Schools, and Central New Mexico Community College. Continuing the UNM Hospital mill levy does not raise taxes, but rather ensures UNM Hospital remains a dependable hospital for health care services that cannot be found anywhere else in New Mexico.
What does the UNM Hospital mill levy pay for?
The mill levy doesn’t help pay for one thing, but rather it’s part of every facet of the hospital’s operations. Funds from the mill levy assist with paying for extra costs associated with being New Mexico’s largest teaching hospital, only Level-I Trauma Center, and only dedicated children’s hospital. Open 24/7/365, operating and maintaining the facility takes effort across all kinds of services, such as:
- Providing food services to patients
- Purchasing and maintaining critical supplies
- Cleaning all areas of an extremely busy hospital
- Keeping patient records and other software applications secure and up to date
- Maintaining cybersecurity
- Maintaining a robust HVAC system
- Transporting patients and families from the parking garage to the hospital
- Providing security to keep staff and patients safe
- Providing 24/7 interpreter services in more than 200 languages
Community Input
Throughout the past year and half, UNM Hospital’s leaders and Community Engagement team have held a series of “Community Listening Sessions” alongside teams from Bernalillo County in each county district. These sessions have given community members an opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions with hospital representatives. Feedback gained during this session helped inform a Community Health Needs Assessment.
“During our community listening sessions, participants were asked about their experiences with the health care system in general and were offered the opportunity to share what programs and/or services they would like UNM Hospital to focus on to improve their health care experiences,” Becker said. “The conversations around these questions helped us develop a deeper understanding of what we’re doing well and what needs improvements. These important community conversations inform leadership decisions about how we use and prioritize mill levy funds and other resources.”
The UNM Hospital mill levy question is the last on the ballot. Voting in support of the mill levy will extend this community investment for an additional eight years, ensuring UNM Hospital’s ability to serve Bernalillo County and beyond.
If you’re interested in learning more about the UNM Hospital mill levy and how this investment enriches care for patients and supports clinician teams, please visit this website