Salem council OKs bond sale for hospital project

SALEM -- City council has approved the sale of up to $40 million in bonds to help finance the ongoing expansion at Salem Community Hospital.
Michele Hoffmeister, hospital director of public relations, said the hospital asked the city to approve $37 million in bonds.
"The money generated through the bonds will help to finance the hospital's current central [heating and cooling] plant construction project and information services upgrade, as well as the planned expansion of the surgery department," she said.
A portion of the money will also be used to pay off $9.2 million from bonds for the hospital issued by the city in 2000. The bonds cannot become a financial liability to the city.