The City of Newton received an early Christmas present on Thursday in the form of the former Newton Community Hospital on Hwy. 15.
The Secretary of State’s Office transferred the 14.4-acre, tax-forfeited property, where the hospital formerly run by Pioneer Health Services and has sat empty since December 2015, to the City of Newton. The total value of these tax-forfeited parcels is $845,100.
“We are pleased to convey the former hospital property to the City of Newton,” stated Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. “We are hopeful this property will be converted to meet the healthcare needs of the citizens in Newton and Scott counties.”
In August 2016, Newton County Tax Collector May Bender conveyed this property to the State of Mississippi for the non-payment of property taxes. Parcel No. 068S-13-00-016.60 is 8.4 acres and is valued at $755,100.00. Parcel No. 068R-13-00-016.70 is 6 acres and is valued at $90,000.00.
“This property transfer is great news for the City of Newton,” said Mayor Murray Weems. “We have missed having a hospital, and we are looking forward to finding a health care solution for our citizens.”
Sen.-Elect Tyler McCaughn was excited that the state helped the city move forward with finding a new owner for the property.
“I am thankful for Secretary Hosemann’s efforts in allowing us to take the first step in meeting the health care needs of Newton and District 31,” McCaughn said. “This is a shot in the arm that the city has needed. It gives us hope that we can find a new use for the facility.”
McCaughn also thanked State Rep. Randy Rushing and State Rep.-Elect Troy Smith for their assistance on the issue.
Mississippi Code Annotated §29-1-21 provides for the intergovernmental transfer of tax-forfeited lands. For more information about tax-forfeited properties, visit the Secretary of State’s website or call the Public Lands Division at (601) 359-5156.
