Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night against a public opinion survey to determine the fate of Bedford County Nursing Home, saying it is premature until the county has more facts about the situation.

The county Financial Management Committee had recommended the survey after an unscientific Times-Gazette web poll showed a majority of participants in favor of selling the nursing home. Two of the commission's four standing committees had discussed reports that it may become more costly to operate the nursing home after Bedford County Medical Center moves out of the adjoining building later this summer.

Commissioner Roger Brothers, in his first meeting back after illness, passionately defended the nursing home, saying that it is making a profit and that it was premature to discuss selling it. Brothers is a member of the Financial Management Committee but had not been present for the meeting earlier this month at which the survey was proposed. He is also a member of the nursing home's board and said the board should be the starting point for any such proposal.

Brothers indicated that selling the nursing home has the potential to leave some of its current occupants homeless, which Commissioner Joe Tillett dismissed as a "scare tactic."

"Nobody's talking about taking anybody's home away from them," said Tillett. Later in the meeting, during the nursing home's quarterly activities report, Tillett got administrator Wayne Schumann to confirm that all of the nursing home's current residents are being paid for by Medicare, Medicaid or some private funding. The county is not providing any completely unpaid charity care.

Brothers said that there would be no guarantees that any new owner of the nursing home would provide the same level of care the county is providing now.

"They're in the business to make money," said Brothers.

The finance committee had been acting in part on information that it could cost as much as $50,000 per month to operate the boiler serving the hospital and nursing home once the hospital moves to its new location in July. The county will also become responsible for upkeep of the vacant hospital facility and the entire campus surrounding the hospital, nursing home and Medical Arts Building.

"You have to look at the overall picture," said Commissioner Linda Yockey.

But Brothers said there will also be savings when the hospital relocates, for example predicting that the nursing home will be able to provide its own food service for less than it is now paying the hospital.

"We can feed these people for a lot less than $40,000 per month," said Brothers.

Commissioner J.D. "Bo" Wilson said he's concerned that increased operating costs will make the nursing home, which is currently profitable, unprofitable, requiring the county to subsidize its operations at some point in the future.

"I just don't want to stick a tax increase on someone who's not in the nursing home," said Wilson.

"The time for you to worry about the tax rate," responded Brothers, "is when the nursing home board comes back and asks you for money." He said it's premature to ask the public to make a decision, because he said it's not clear yet what the bottom line impact will be of the hospital's relocation.

Commissioner Jimmy Woodson asked whether a county-wide referendum might be a better idea than a public opinion survey.

County Attorney John T. Bobo said a request for proposals has generated "half a dozen inquiries" about buying the nursing home and/or other parts of the BCMC campus. One inquiry was about buying the Medical Arts Building alone, one was for the nursing home and possibly the hospital building as well, and the rest were interested in just the nursing home, not the entire campus. He said it's difficult to go much farther until the commission has a better idea of what it wants to do.

The original motion was to approve the public opinion survey, but Brothers made an amendment to defer. Brothers' amendment was approved by a 15-2-1 margin. Voting in favor of the amendment were Brothers, Yockey, Phillip Vincent, Bobby Fox, Tony Smith, Bobby Vannatta, Jimmy Patterson, Billy King, Jeff Yoes, Tony Barrett, Joyce Tune, John Brown, Ed Castleman, P.T. "Biff" Farrar and Mark Thomas. Wilson and Tillett were opposed, and Woodson abstained.

The amendment became the main motion, which passed 16-2, with Wilson and Tillett opposed.

Yockey said the courthouse and county property committee needs input as it continues to consider the disposition of such county-owned properties as the nursing home and the hospital site.

"This is a monumental decision," said Yockey about any sale of the nursing home.

County Mayor Eugene Ray said the commission may need to look at a study session on the issue.

* In a related issue, Tillett said that BCMC chief executive officer Dan Buckner is reviewing tenant records for the Medical Arts Building. Some county officials have complained that BCMC, which is currently managing the building for the county, had not been compensating the county for rent for some physicians whom BCMC is giving free office space in the MAB as part of their recruitment packages. Tillett said Buckner has been receptive to the county's concerns and is researching the issue.