Montgomery City Council Approves Healthcare Authority Resolution

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Montgomery City Council voted 6-3 tonight to approve a resolution authorizing the establishment of the Healthcare Authority of Montgomery, advancing a proposed City-County partnership to preserve, stabilize, and expand access to essential healthcare services.

The vote followed careful deliberation about the authority's purpose, financial accountability, and the respective roles of the City and Montgomery County. Council members examined how the partnership would operate, how future initiatives would be funded, and next steps following the City's approval.

Council President C.C. Calhoun emphasized that the City's action demonstrates a willingness to work with Montgomery County to address the community's healthcare needs.

"We can pass this, but it depends on what the county commission does, because it takes both of us working together," Calhoun said.

Calhoun pointed to the City's previous collaboration with the County to support Jackson Hospital and said that same willingness to participate should guide the work ahead.

"What the City of Montgomery was doing was trying to come and meet them halfway to say we were willing to participate in this process," Calhoun said.

Mayor Steven L. Reed described the resolution as a first step toward a framework that can evolve as local leaders identify needs, develop partnerships, and consider future healthcare investments.

"I think it sets the framework of what we can do," Reed said. "And we may have to, come back and moderate this or change that. That's all part of the process. So, it doesn't have to be all or none right now."

Reed emphasized the importance of preparing for healthcare challenges before the community faces another urgent situation.

"My goal is for us not to do things reactively, but to do things proactively," Reed said. "And this allows us to do that."

The proposed authority would support coordination around several healthcare priorities, including care for residents unable to afford necessary medical services; emergency medical services; maternal and perinatal care; pediatric care; behavioral and mental health services; hospital stabilization; public-health coordination; and healthcare infrastructure and preservation of essential services.

During the discussion, Council members raised questions about County participation, sustainable funding, and how the authority would complement the work of existing healthcare providers. Members also emphasized the importance of continued engagement so that approval leads to meaningful progress for residents.

Tonight's action advances the authority's formation. County participation remains necessary for the proposed joint arrangement to move forward, and ongoing funding mechanisms remain to be determined. The resolution does not establish a new tax and expressly provides that the authority would have no power to levy taxes.

The proposed governance structure includes seven voting directors: three appointed through the City, three appointed by the County Commission, and one appointed jointly with expertise in healthcare finance and community and public health. It also provides for two nonvoting representatives from state agencies.

The resolution includes annual independent financial audits, ethics and conflict-of-interest requirements, and an annual public Community Benefit Report. The report would address services delivered, indigent care provided, financial performance, and measurable health outcomes, and would be submitted to both the City Council and County Commission.

As explained during the meeting, formation of the authority would not change Montgomery County's existing responsibility under state law for indigent care.

The questions examined during Council deliberations will remain central to the next phase: defining responsibilities, identifying sustainable resources, and working with healthcare partners to improve access to care for Montgomery and the River Region.

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