Bellevue Cemetery District seeks tax
increase
Funds would pay for irrigation system
By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer
Voters in the Bellevue Cemetery District
will be asked at a special election Tuesday, May 25, to approve a tax increase
in order to put the Bellevue Cemetery’s irrigation system underground.
The irrigation system is currently above
ground, and the pipes regularly get run over, said Fae Barker, a district board
member.
Supporters of the levy note that currently
irrigation pipe must be moved by hand, which. is a time consuming task that
interferes with the mowing of the cemetery. An automatic system also could be
used at night, which would be more efficient and save water.
Also, putting irrigation lines underground
would make gravesites more accessible to people walking to the graves.
The cost of the project is estimated at $7
to $10 per $100,000 of property valuation. The levy would be in place for about
two years.
The district is asking for a two-year in
order to pay for the improvement. Underground lines will cut down on regular
labor required for moving the lines.
The tax increase, if approved at the
election, will also go toward the construction of a new maintenance building to
house pumps for the system.
The Bellevue Cemetery District extends
from south of Hailey, and east and west of Highway 75 over Timmerman Hill, west
to Broadford, and includes Glendale.
The special cemetery district election
will be held at the Bellevue Elementary School from 12 p. m. to 8 p.m. on
Tuesday. The school is also where Bellevue residents can vote in the primary
election. Voting hours for the primary election are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.