MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County Lawmakers now have more information at their disposal when it comes to making a decision on whether or not to sell the county home. During a special meeting last night in Mayville, Don Pryor – a representative with the Center for Governmental Research – delivered to the Chautauqua County Legislature a financial viability report on the skilled nursing facility.
According to this morning’s Jamestown Post-Journal, the 132-page report offers two choices in dealing with the home. They are to either sell the county home to a reputable buyer or to find ways to reduce operating costs.
The report included a review of two offers the county has received on purchasing the home. Last month, county officials learned that Absolute Care Facilities Management, LLC – based in East Aurora – and Altitude Health Services, Inc. of Chicago have each placed a bid for the county home through the marketing firm Marcus and Millichap. Absolut Care made an offer of $1.6 million a year with a purchase option of $16 million. Altitude Health offered $16.5 million in cash for the County Home. In delivering the report, Pryor expressed concerns regarding the offers, saying there was a lack of detailed financial strategies and incomplete questions from both bidders.
According to the report in the Post-Journal, the county would need to find almost $2.3 million a year in savings in order to continue operating the county home and keep it financially afloat. The savings would most likely come by way of limits on salary and benefit increases for County Home workers. Other saving measures include not filling positions when they are vacated as well as implementing electronic medical record keeping.
County lawmakers are expected to continue discussion on the county home in the coming weeks before making any final decisions.
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