State leaders are balking at a demand that they commit to an annual appropriation of $30 million to Grady Health Systems. The demand was part of a resolution that Grady's Board of Trustees passed yesterday. Governor Sonny Perdue, in a written statement, says "I have no intention of signing an unenforceable document that seeks to bind the state to a specific, annual appropriation.” Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle echoes that sentiment saying, “You can’t enter into a contract that is going to go on for eternity. And that's really what has been requested.”
The resolution requires written confirmations from the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and House Speaker by the end of December, to support the appropriation. It says that and other requirements must be met before the board executes a lease agreement with a new, private, non-profit Board of Directors. But today some Board members say that even without written confirmations, they and state leaders could reach a compromise that allows the governance change to move forward.
