Marlboro County Council rejects ordinance to add $9-per-month Pathways Physicians fee

Marlboro County Council on April 30 rejected the third reading of Ordinance #851, a proposed agreement with Pathways Physicians Texas, PLLC that would have allowed a voluntary $9-per-month fee to be added to county property tax bills to pay for a health-services offering.

Dr. Dirk Perry, representing Pathways Physicians Texas, PLLC, described the plan at a public hearing and said residents would have a four-month grace period to decide whether to participate. "If they did not want it, all they had to do when their tax bill came in, was to pay their taxes only," Perry said, adding that the $108-per-year charge would cover a household of up to 10 people. Perry also cautioned that residents who opted out would not have access to the service.

Chairman Anthony Woods opened the public hearing and allowed three minutes per speaker. A number of citizens spoke during the hearing; the minutes summarize that multiple comments were made but do not transcribe them. The full public-comment record is available in the meeting video on the Marlboro County website.

After discussion among council members, Council member Jason Steen moved, and Council member Dr. Damien Johnson seconded, a motion to reject approval of the ordinance’s third reading. The minutes record the vote as unanimous and the motion as carried.

The clerk’s certified minutes note that future minutes will summarize agenda discussions and decisions rather than attempting verbatim transcription. The council did not move into executive session for the economic-development contractual matter listed on the agenda.

Next steps: the ordinance was not approved; there is no recorded action to reintroduce the measure in this meeting’s minutes. The county clerk’s office posted the meeting notice, agenda and a recording on the Marlboro County website.