BenitoLink Election Forum hears debate on controversial local measures

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The future of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital (Measure X) and the question of how land use decisions are made (Measure A) were among the topics debated at BenitoLink’s 2024 Election Forum on Sept. 28. The forum also featured candidates for U.S. Congress, state Senate, Hollister City Council and the San Benito Health Care District, as well as spokespersons for and against the two San Benito High School District bond measures. 

Doug Mays, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital senior director of support services, spoke in favor of Measure X, which seeks voter approval to allow the San Benito Health Care District to negotiate a lease-sale agreement for Hazel Hawkins with the Michigan-based Insight healthcare group. 

Mays said Hazel Hawkins “has been struggling for years,” and pointed out that the measure not only allows the board to seek a deal with Insight, but any other interested party.

“Stand-alone hospitals in this day and age are not sustainable,” Mays said. “It’s been a trend for 30 years. Hospitals have been acquired all over the country.”

Doug Mays (left) and Rob Bernosky presented their arguments as to why or why not Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital could survive by itself Photo by Adam Bell.

Asked if the health care district should continue to pursue a transaction if the bankruptcy appellate court dismisses a case regarding Hazel Hawkins that is still pending, he said he was confident the court would side with the district, and viewed a sale as the best option regardless of the outcome. 

“We need capital,” he said, adding that Hazel Hawkins needs $50 million to modernize its facilities, including the 60-year-old building “that’s falling apart.”

Answering questions posed by forum attendees, Mays said if the measure isn’t approved, the hospital can “sustain probably for a few years.” Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital CEO Mary Casillas has told BenitoLink pursuing the bankruptcy status allowed the district to reduce costs.

Robert Bernosky, a resident who opposes the sale to Insight, said another option is electing a new board that can “continuously evaluate a CEO.” He also suggested that Hazel Hawkins recruit more physicians and offer more services so residents won’t need to travel outside the county to receive care. He said that would fix the hospital’s reputation.

Bernosky also said Hazel Hawkins can continue to be profitable, pointing out that the hospital made $15 million last fiscal year and $4 million so far in this current fiscal year, which began in July. 

“There is no reason to believe we cannot keep doing that,” he said.

Should voters or planners make land use decisions?

Spokespersons for and against the controversial Measure A land use initiative took the stage during the forum, addressing questions regarding outside funding supporting both sides of the issue and the measure’s potential impacts to the county’s economic development. 

Measure A seeks to require voter approval for changing agricultural, rural and rangeland zoning designations. It would also remove the designation of four commercial zones along Hwy 101 from the General Plan, the county’s blueprint for growth. An earlier version of this measure failed in 2022.

Asked by forum co-host Larry Slonaker about out-of-county money funding the Measure A campaign, Larry Rebecchi, representing Preserve San Benito County, said the organization is a small grassroots group that doesn’t have money. He said the point of the measure is to focus commercial development in designated industrial areas, such as near the Hollister Airport and slow down residential development. 

“We do need commercial [development], we don’t need houses, we’ve got plenty of houses,” he said.

He also criticized the county for failing to collect sufficient impact fees from developers, saying the county should be collecting enough to cover fire protection, law enforcement and other county services. 

Bob Tiffany (left) argued Measure A would impact the county’s economic development while Larry Rebecchi said its goal is to build commercial in appropriately zoned areas. Photo by Adam Bell.

Asked about its funding sources, Bob Tiffany of Neighbors to Preserve San Benito, a group opposing Measure A, says it obtained funding from realty groups outside the county because local realtors requested it. 

Tiffany, a California transportation commissioner and former county supervisor, said if Measure A passes it would “kill” commercial development in the unincorporated areas of the county. He said commercial development along Hwy 101, and the tax money it would bring the county, is needed to provide services and fix roads.

“I doubt there is a county in the state, there are 58 of us, that has property on a major road like 101 that does not have commercial development to take advantage of existing traffic,” he said.

More than 100 community members attended the forum at the Granada Theater. BenitoLink will provide video coverage of the entire forum and individual races when they are available.

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