Elected officials say cancer center project healthy on many levels

Much has been said about the economic and research implications for the planned Cancer Center Campus at UNMC.

But for Douglas County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson and her fellow county board members, the real deal is health. And thus when it came time to approve a proposal to allot $5 million in county funds for the UNMC project, the health benefit to Douglas County residents was the deciding factor.

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle speaks at Thursday’s appreciation event for Omaha city and Douglas County officials.

“This is a celebration of life,” Borgeson said Thursday at an appreciation event at UNMC for city and county officials who in separate actions recently approved a total allotment of $40 million to go toward the project. “We are saving lives by supporting this project.”

Borgeson, who was surrounded by fellow county commissioners Mike Boyle and Pam Tusa at the podium on Thursday, was one of several local officials who spoke at the event.

“The stuff of dreams”

The Cancer Center Campus — and its projected economic impact on the city — will be a landmark event for the city of Omaha, said Thomas Mulligan, president of the Omaha City Council.

“It’s really the kind of project that is the stuff of dreams for our chamber of commerce,” Mulligan said.

Happy to help

The potential for patients, residents and the community at large made it a no-brainer to support, said Councilman Chris Jerram, who represents the district that includes the UNMC campus.

Jerram was among the council members who introduced a proposal to create an occupation tax on local tobacco retailers that will help fund the city’s $35 million allocation for the project.

“I was delighted to help carry the torch to help this project develop,” Jerram said.

Easy to support

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, who last month approved the city’s plan to provide the project, praised the city and county boards for their efforts to support the cancer center project.

“The actions of the city and county board made it easy for me to put my name on the line of that (ordinance),” Suttle said.

Omaha council members who voted to support the occupation tax were:

• Mulligan;
  
• Jerram;
  
• Pete Festersen;
  
• Garry Gernandt; and
  
• Ben Gray.

County board members who voted to provide funds for the cancer center were:

• Borgeson;
  
• Boyle;
  
• Tusa;
  
• Chris Rodgers;
  
• P.J. Morgan; and
  
• Marc Kraft.

An appreciative campus

UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., thanked the city and county officials for their foresight and support of the $370 million project.

“This project will have a lasting impact on the community and we are grateful for your support of it,” Dr. Maurer said.