The potential of the City of Purcell charging Purcell Municipal Hospital for utilities caused a stir at the city council’s regular monthly meeting Monday night at the Police Service Building.

None of the city’s departments currently pay for utilities, including city hall, the fire department, police department, golf course and PMH.

An increase in utility prices across the board were raised for the citizens in 2014 to pay for the utilities at PMH. That resolution was intended to be revisited on at least an annual basis but has not been, acting city manager Bobby Elmore said.

One of the items on the agenda Monday night was to vote on establishing water, electrical and sewer fees for PMH. That agenda item was not acted upon after discussion between the council and three members of the audience who addressed the board.

Former Mayor Ted Cox, former PMH board member Dr. Glenn Mead and former councilman Allen Eubanks all addressed the council about the issue.

In Cox’s address to the council, he said he has been told by City Treasurer Wynn Tyson-Kramer part of the reason for changing the current agreement with the hospital is that the hospital is on good financial standing.

“I was told that the hospital audit for FYE 06/30/25 was basically break even,” Cox said. “Yes, the hospital is showing a $731K profit for the first six months of the year. Of that, $504,076.04 comes from an employee retention tax credit, that is a one-time only credit that comes from covid funding, not a recurring event.

“$831,050 comes from SHOPP payments which is a state allocation including Medicaid funding. That means subtracting those items has the hospital at a $600,000 loss.”

Elmore said the reason the issue has come up is the 2014 resolution called for at least an annual evaluation.

“It needed to be brought up before the council,” Elmore said. “I highly value the hospital but I’d like to have an agreement on what’s the way forward. It’s my job to bring this up and I’ll do it every time.”

“It’s not a today or tomorrow decision,” Tyson-Kramer said.

Mead told the council that “We can’t get behind the curve. Check with Pauls Valley and eight other hospitals around the state.”

The council took no action on the matter saying they would place it on the agenda for next month’s meeting for continued discussion.

In other action, the council voted unanimously to:

• add construction of three 50’x 50’ hangars to the capital improvement plan
• hire Parkhill Task Order 01 for a master agreement for professional services for final design, bid and survey services for the hangars for $73,100
• hire Crawford & Associates for accounting and consulting services Jan. 1, 2026 through June 31, 2026
• an interlocal agreement with OPEH&W Health Plan for health insurance services

Elmore reported to the council the city is down two snow plows, which hindered their ability to clear roadways.

“I think they did a great job clearing the snow with what we had equipment-wise,” Elmore said.

In the Purcell Public Works Authority portion of the meeting, trustees heard quarterly reports from both Wadley’s EMS and Purcell Municipal Hospital.