A county legislative authority is authorized to establish, provide, and maintain hospitals.? For this purpose, counties may:

• purchase or lease real property or use county-owned land;
• erect all necessary buildings, make repairs and improvements, and alter existing buildings for the use of the hospital;
• use county money, levy taxes, and issue bonds to raise money to cover the cost of procuring the site of the hospital, constructing and operating the hospital, and for maintaining the hospital; and
• accept and hold in trust any grant of land, gift or bequest of money, or any donation for the benefit of the hospital.

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If a county hospital is established, the county may levy a tax in an amount up to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, in any year, for the maintenance of the hospital.

Counties are authorized to use county money, levy taxes, and issue bonds to pay, finance, or refinance the cost of procuring the site for a hospital, constructing and operating costs, maintenance, and for outpatient clinics operated by the hospital. ?Counties may also use county money, levy taxes, and issue bonds for hospital capital expenses.

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The tax that may be imposed by a county that establishes a hospital is specified as an additional property tax. ?In addition to maintenance, the tax revenue may be used for the operation and capital expenses of the hospital and to pay the principal and interest on bonds issued for such purposes. ?The tax is not subject to aggregate regular levy rates and is not subject to the 1 percent levy growth limit for the first year the tax is imposed.