OCEANSIDE — With the defeat of Proposition A, the future of the community-owned Tri-City Medical Center is uncertain. The mail-in only ballots counted Aug. 26 showed a majority of voters in favor of the bond tax, but not the two-thirds majority needed.

The bond measure would have granted the hospital $589 million to modernize and upgrade its emergency department, intensive care, cardiac care and urgent care units, and complete state mandated earthquake retrofitting.

Under Senate Bill 1953, the state will suspend all noncompliant hospitals’ licenses to operate if they fail to meet the January 2013 deadline to retrofit buildings, thereby closing the facility for the care of acute care patients.

The mood was somber at the Aug. 28 Tri-City Medical Center board meeting as bond consultant Bonnie Moss, executive vice president of Tramutola, board members and speakers shared their disappointment on Proposition A’s failure.

Challenging economic times, lack of community confidence in hospital operations, and opposition to a tax increase were some of the reasons cited as possible causes for the bond failure.

“I am acutely aware that we are in challenging economic times, but each day we don’t move forward on rebuilding our hospital, it becomes more costly,” Director RoseMarie Reno, said. “We just can’t afford not to do this now.”

An analysis of why the bond failed should bring to light the reasons for the shortfall of community support in the next few months.