McKay Healthcare seeks voter approval for $9.94 million bond measure in November

SOAP LAKE — Voters in Grant County Public Hospital District No. 4 will decide this November whether to authorize nearly $9.94 million in bonds to help fund an expansion of McKay Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Soap Lake, a project district officials say would expand senior care services available in Soap Lake and surrounding communities. 

The measure, listed as Proposition 1 on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, would authorize the district to issue up to $9,940,000 in general obligation bonds to help pay for a planned expansion that includes a 16-bed assisted living unit, a 16-bed memory care unit and an intergenerational community wellness center. The project would also include other capital improvements as determined by district commissioners. 

“We came up with that number because we could assign funding from other sources to get us to the number we needed, but also because we felt like it wasn't a giant ask,” said Audra Gutierrez, administrator of McKay Healthcare. 

According to the district's explanatory statement, bond repayments would come from an annual excess property tax levy estimated at 61 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a home assessed at $300,000, officials estimate the cost would be about $15.27 per month, or $183.24 per year.  

The proposal comes as Grant County's senior population continues to grow. According to information presented by McKay Healthcare, residents age 65 and older represented about 11.6% of the county's population in 2000 and about 15% in 2024. 

"We are in the final construction design phase, and we want to go ahead and break ground and bring this community to Soap Lake," Gutierrez said.  

The expansion represents the first phase of a larger long-term vision to develop a continuing care retirement community campus in Central Washington. Plans call for assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, independent living and community gathering spaces on a single site. According to project plans, the first phase would add 16 assisted living apartments, 16 memory care units, and a community clubhouse and wellness center. 

According to the district's explanatory statement, most project costs are expected to be covered through grants and low-interest loans. 

Gutierrez said the bond is intended to help pay a portion of the construction costs and complete the project's funding package. 

"We're hoping to backfill everything with grants and congressional funding," she said. 

If approved, the bond would allow the district to move forward with construction and development of the assisted living, memory care and community components of the project. 

However, if voters reject the measure, Gutierrez said the district would need to seek alternative funding sources. 

"We're going to have to seek other funding sources, which will just delay the project longer," she said. 

The proposal arrives as local leaders continue discussing health care access and workforce challenges across rural Grant County. Gutierrez said one goal of the project is to reduce the need for families to move loved ones outside the area when higher levels of senior care become necessary. 

"Memory care is a coveted resource, and there are just not many openings available," she said. "It would just keep everybody aging in place." 

According to information provided by McKay Healthcare, the expansion could create approximately 30 permanent jobs in addition to an estimated 160 construction jobs. Officials also envision childcare, classroom and community gathering spaces designed to serve both seniors and local families. 

For taxpayers, the November vote is ultimately a decision about whether to authorize additional property taxes to finance a portion of the project. General obligation bonds require voter approval and are repaid through dedicated property tax levies over time. 

State law also provides certain property tax exemption programs for qualifying homeowners. Information about eligibility is available through the Grant County Assessor's Office. 

The election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Voters can find the full ballot proposition, explanatory statement and election information through the Grant County Auditor's Office before ballots are mailed. 

    McKay Healthcare has reported growth of older populations in Grant County from the 2000s’ to current.