Many of the biggest issues facing Hailey, City Council member Don Keirn says, are related to attracting good-paying jobs, managing the area's high cost of living and ensuring the city's quality of life persists well into the future.
Currently in his second term with the Hailey City Council, Keirn is running unopposed for what he says will be his last term in office.
"This is it," he said.
Previous to his current tenure on the council, Keirn spent about 10 years in Boise as the economic development director for former Boise mayors Dirk Kempthorne and Brent Coles.
In a way, Keirn said, he's relieved that he's running unopposed.
Because he doesn't have to run against another candidate, he won't have to raise campaign money, something he dislikes doing.
"Selfishly speaking, I love it," Keirn said.
Today, Hailey's youth who have left the area for college have little to come back to in terms of jobs, Keirn said
"What we need to do is create jobs that attract intelligent young people back to the community," he said, "and be able to afford a house here."
In his first term on the council the city's budget needs were being met, he said. Now, with a growth boom well under way, the city is facing revenue shortfalls, Keirn said.
As a way to combat such shortfalls, Keirn has long advocated for a development impact fee for Hailey. He said the city is much closer to making that happen, and should have it in place within a year.
Keirn said a development impact fee could only be applied to city needs arising out of impacts from new growth. Examples include the need to widen roads to accommodate increased traffic, putting in sidewalks, and updating water and sewer services, he said.
Having a development impact fee would allow Hailey to redirect already slim funds to other needs not related to growth, Keirn said.
"It frees up money," he said. "The biggest problem here is keeping our city services at an optimal level."
While there are a number of good companies in Hailey, the city's business community does need enhancement. Hailey needs to attract good-paying jobs, like in software development, that are suitable to the area, he said.
As one way of meeting this need, Keirn has been working with the Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization (SIEDO) to help attract business to the Wood River Valley.
The organization is made up of various Southern Idaho businesses, municipalities and county governments.
Keirn said Hailey's growth rate—which currently sits at approximately 6 to 7 percent—far exceeds the 3 percent cap the state of Idaho has placed on how much municipalities can raise their budgets in any given year.
To combat the inequity, Keirn said, Hailey is looking at other sources of revenue, including the development impact fees and a local option tax, which would tax services related to tourism.
"Maintaining the quality of life is going to be the challenge," Keirn said.
City government is a work in progress, he said, and because of this, keeping Hailey's charm and quality of life intact will require constant, ongoing dedication.
Looking to the future, Keirn said, Hailey would be successful.
"I'm an optimistic person," he said. "The glass is always two-thirds full as far as I'm concerned."
