2023 Indiana Code › Title 16. Health › Article 22. County Hospitals › Chapter 6. County Hospital Building Authorities › 16-22-6-27. Contiguous Counties; Agreements for County Without Hospital to Reimburse County With Hospital for Portion of Lease Rental; Procedure

Sec. 27. (a) As used in this section, "contributing county" means a county without a county hospital that is contiguous to a county with a county hospital.
(b) As used in this section, "lessee county" means a county with a county hospital.
(c) A contributing county may enter into an agreement with a lessee county to reimburse the lessee county for a part of the lease rental each year that is payable by the lessee county upon compliance with this section.
(d) If the county executive of the contributing county finds that the hospital of the lessee county serves the residents of the contributing county and provides needed hospital services to such residents, the county executive may prepare a contribution agreement. Before final execution of the agreement, the auditor of the contributing county shall publish notice of a public hearing to be held in the contributing county by the county executive not less than ten (10) days after publication of the notice. The notice shall be published one (1) time in a newspaper of general circulation and published in the contributing county. The notice must name the day, place, and hour of the hearing and must set forth a summary of the provisions of agreement as to the amount to be paid each year during the term of the lease by the contributing county and where a copy of the proposed agreement may be examined. All persons interested are entitled to be heard at the time fixed on the necessity for the execution of the agreement. The hearing may be adjourned to a later date at a place fixed before adjournment.
(e) Following the hearing, if a majority of the county fiscal body of the contributing county approve the execution of the agreement, the county executive may authorize the execution of the original agreement or may make the modifications agreed upon with the county fiscal body. The authorization shall be by an order entered in the official records of the county executive. The agreement shall be executed:
(1) on behalf of the contributing county by at least a majority of the members of the county executive; and
(2) on behalf of the lessee county by at least a majority of the members of the county executive.
(f) If the execution of the original or modified contribution agreement is authorized, notice of the signing shall be published on behalf of the contributing county by publication one (1) time in a newspaper of general circulation and published in the contributing county. At least ten (10) taxpayers in the contributing county whose tax rate will be affected by the proposed agreement may file a petition with the county auditor of the contributing county not more than thirty (30) days after publication of notice of the execution of the agreement. The petition must set forth the objections to the contribution agreement and facts showing that the execution of the contribution agreement is unnecessary and unwise or that the amount of contribution is excessive. On the filing of the petition, the county auditor shall immediately certify a copy together with other data necessary to present the questions involved to the department of local government finance. The department of local government finance shall fix a time in the county for the hearing not less than five (5) or not more than fifteen (15) days after receipt of the certified petition and information. The department of local government finance may either hold the hearing in the affected county or through electronic means. Notice of the hearing shall be given by the department of local government finance to the county executive and to the first ten (10) taxpayer petitioners by certified mail sent to the addresses listed on the petition, at least five (5) days before the date of the hearing.
(g) An action to contest the validity of the contribution agreement or to enjoin the performance of the agreement may not be instituted later than thirty (30) days after publication of notice of the execution of the agreement or, if an appeal has been taken to the department of local government finance, not more than thirty (30) days after the decision of the board.
(h) A contribution agreement may extend for the full term of the lease or for any part and may provide for reimbursement by the contributing county to the lessee county of a part of the lease rental each year in an amount and upon terms and conditions agreed on between the contributing county and the lessee county. The contributing county shall annually levy a tax sufficient to produce each year the necessary funds sufficient to reimburse the lessee county as provided in the contribution agreement. The tax levies provided for in this section shall be reviewable by other bodies vested by law with the authority to ascertain that the levies are sufficient to raise the required payments under the contribution agreement. The annual contribution shall be paid semiannually to the lessee county before the date lease rental payments are due from the lessee county.
[Pre-1993 Recodification Citations: 16-12-19-1; 16-12-20-16.5.]
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.5. Amended by P.L.90-2002, SEC.391; P.L.38-2021, SEC.59.