Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 12:01 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 12:01 p.m.

BARTOW | Polk voters should be asked to renew the indigent health care tax in 2016, representatives from the local health care community told the County Commission on Tuesday.

The consensus came from a work session organized by commissioners to get input from the health care community over how they wanted to deal with the coming expiration of the tax at the end of 2019.

The tax was approved in 2004.

Tuesdays meeting attracted more than 50 people from local hospitals, volunteer clinics and nonprofit organizations, as well as the Department of Health and the court system.

Renewal of the half-cent sales tax that funds the program will allow the program to continue serving nearly 40,000 residents and help county officials pay for mandated health services without having to raise property taxes to cover the cost.

County Commission Chairman George Lindsey said it will be up to the health care community to form an advocacy group to promote passage of the continuation of the tax, adding theyre the best group to lead the effort anyway.

Their clients are the beneficiaries; they recognize the consequences, he said.

Its incumbent on this group to move the message forward, Lindsey said. That message cannot come forward from the County Commission.

The County Commission is prohibited by law from doing more than providing educational materials on ballot issues. It cannot advocate for or against passage of any ballot measure.

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Health Experts Tell Polk County Commission Voters Should Be Asked to Renew Indigent Health Care Tax