Nursing Home Vote Count

The News-Gazette's Tom Kacih puts the count at roughly 13 to sell at the moment. Given the turbulent situation and being within 2 votes of the 15 needed, it's probably very likely this estimation is a snapshot of leanings at this moment in time as opposed to predictive of any future outcome. From today's N-G:

Tom Kacich | Decision day on nursing home sale approaching
The Champaign County Board is moving steadily toward its biggest vote in years — whether to sell the county-owned nursing home — but members of the board's Democratic majority say they still believe there aren't enough votes for a sale.

There is a potential buyer, a joint offer from Extended Care Clinical LLC and Altitude Health Services Inc., both headquartered in Evanston, who have offered $11 million for the nursing home. And a vote is tentatively set for the May 24 county board meeting.

But any sale would require 15 board members to vote in favor, and the vote-counters in the Democratic caucus say there aren't 15 votes, even with all 10 Republican board members solidly behind it. The latest count was 13 votes to sell.

"I do think that for many members of the Democratic caucus, the nursing home remains an important part of the county, and they're committed to continue to try to support it as long as is possible," said Champaign Democrat Stephanie Fortado, who heads the board's finance committee...

The Democrats on the board aren't the only ones hoping to keep the nursing home owned and operated by the county.

Claudia Lenhoff, executive director of the Champaign County Health Care Consumers, said last week that a coalition of groups and individuals would oppose the sale.

"We will be organizing a community meeting soon to provide information about changes at the nursing home, as well as information about for-profit investor-owned nursing home companies, and the companies putting forward this bid," Lenhoff said. "We are continuing to do research on these companies now and the homes that they operate."

More at the full article here, including more input from Democratic County Board members and Claudia Lenhoff.