TARKIO, Mo. — A cold building is just one problem that administrator Jo Blackney hopes more money will solve at the Atchison County Health Center.

The center first opened in 1976 in downtown Tarkio and has suffered from maintenance issues such as the leaky furnace downstairs. Programs such as women’s health screenings also are taking a hit from decreased funding.

“Our building’s getting old,” Ms. Blackney said. “We need a new furnace. It costs more all the time to keep it up.”

The leaky roof was replaced in 1994.

“We had money then,” she lamented.

Officials have placed a 5-cent property tax increase per $100 of assessed valuation on the Aug. 5 ballot to better care for the center and provide services. For the second time in four months, Atchison County voters will be asked to help out the center. The 5-cent hike fell short in April by three votes.

Ms. Blackney said voters first approved a 10-cent tax for the center in 1968.

“We never needed that much money” at the time, she said. Instead, officials chose to roll back 5 cents of the total and retain 5 cents.

“We didn’t take it,” she said.

Several years ago, the state slashed $50,000 from the center’s $200,000 budget that aimed to provide health services for women younger than 35. Rather than end the program — as several other Northwest Missouri counties chose to do — the center continues serving the age group through a $35 fee.

“They’re the ones that need it,” Ms. Blackney said. “We haven’t cut any services.”

The center has operated under a deficit for the past two years. The increase would raise $30,000 of revenue.

Board members have never opted to charge a state-approved per-injection fee for children’s vaccines. The state does allow the center to collect up to a $17 for an administrative fee for the shots.

This year marks the center’s first elections in Ms. Blackney’s current 15-year tenure.

She and the board are promoting the tax through letters to the community’s parents and speeches before civic groups.

The center has three full-time employees, but had to terminate two part-time staff members in the wake of the reduced state funding. A reduction in services will be the only other money-saving alternative to pursue if the measure fails, according to Ms. Blackney. The victims include current unfunded programs such as the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program and certain environmental health services, she added.

Ray Scherer can be reached at

rscherer@npgco.com.