Finance committee hears plan to resubmit $75.7 million subsidy request for FY2027

Dr. Blackledge reported to the Hospital Authority Finance Committee that the Authority has revised and resubmitted its FY2027 subsidy request to the city at $75,700,000. "The amount of our request at this point in time is 75,700,000.0," Dr. Blackledge said, adding the resubmission followed meetings with Metro Finance and internal conversations about organizational needs.

The doctor said the higher request reflects three categories of need: workforce management and cost-of-living adjustments; organizational improvements such as a strengthened financial assistance office and team-health supports; and aged accounts-payable and vendor-management items (a figure described in the presentation as 8.3, not otherwise specified). She said the Authority originally asked for $67,400,000 in February and that last year's request was $66,000,000 while the Authority received $60,000,000 for FY2026.

The committee was told that the mayor’s budget information will be released May 1 and that the Authority may be called into a city budget hearing during May, where council members could question staff about the request. Dr. Blackledge said the team plans more follow-up meetings with Metro Finance and stakeholder outreach to explain the need for the higher subsidy and the budget adjustments.