Commission candidates differ on hospital contract

The race for the Boone County Commission’s Southern District seat is slowly warming up, but both candidates didn’t hesitate to answer questions about the negotiations for a new Boone Hospital contract.

Democrat Brianna Lennon and Republican Fred Parry agreed that the hospital is one of the county’s biggest assets, however, they disagreed on how the upcoming new contract should be negotiated.

“We have a lot at stake as a county commission in how well negotiated that lease is,” Lennon said, of the lease currently held by BJC. “I think the trustees are going to continue to be on the front lines, but the commission should have a clear understanding of negotiations and the lease.”

Parry, who serves as the Chairman of the Boone Hospital Board, said the board was elected by Boone County voters and should have autonomy in negotiating the contract.

“The hospital has had a profitable year every year for the past 30 years,” Parry said. “This past year we had an accounting change by BJC which affected our bottom line by about $7 million.”

by Bruce Wallace

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