By JASON KAUFFMAN
and STEVE BENSON
Express Staff Writers
Hailey voters are asked to perform double duty Tuesday. They'll decide two special ballot issues added to the regularly scheduled May 23 Primary Election that will determine how their city is governed in the future and whether or not a local option tax (LOT) will be added to the city's coffers.
Meanwhile, voters throughout Blaine County can have a strong hand in shaping the future of the county and area communities for years to come by voting in the District 1 County Commission race between four Democrats.
Remember this is a Primary Election, and in Idaho you can vote for a candidate of your choice in either party. But once you vote in either the Democratic or Republican column, you have to stay in that column.
Polls at all of the county's precincts are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Summaries of the two special issues Hailey voters will consider and candidate positions for the only contested county race Tuesday follow:
Hailey Local Option Tax vote
If approved by a required 60 percent majority of Hailey voters, funds raised by the Hailey local option tax would be used to pay for things like infrastructure improvements to city parks, roads and sidewalks, emergency services, public transit and city promotion.
Hailey would collect the following taxes under the proposed ordinance:
· A rental vehicle tax of 3 percent.
· A hotel and motel room tax of 3 percent.
· A liquor by-the-drink tax of 2 percent.
· A restaurant tax of 1 percent.
An ad-hoc committee established by Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant in early 2005 estimated the LOT would yield approximately $326,250 in its first year.
As drafted, the duration of the proposed LOT ordinance would last for four years. Based on its success, Hailey would likely seek voter reauthorization of the LOT before it expires in 2010.
Hailey 'council-manager government' vote
In the event Hailey voters approve a proposed change in government, Hailey city governance would undergo a significant restructuring in the coming months. Approval of the ballot measure requires a simple majority vote, which is equal to one vote over 50 percent.
First proposed by former Hailey mayor Al Lindley in late 2005, the change would replace Hailey's current Mayor-City Council form of government with a City Council- City Manager form of government.
For both sides of the issue, the basic question essentially comes down to leadership in one way or another.
For Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant, the change in government is not only unnecessary, but would also be highly disruptive at a time when the city is undergoing massive growth and change. McBryant questions the need for such a change and asks where the city has failed to meet the needs of its citizens.
For Lindley—who successfully gathered the required number of signatures to get the initiative on the May 23 ballot—a professionally trained City Manager would provide a higher semblance of professionalism to Hailey City Hall.
If Hailey voters decide their city should join the Idaho cities of Lewiston, McCall and Twin Falls as only the fourth municipality in the state to operate as a city manger-run city, their vote would immediately set in motion a number of events.
Within 60 days of such a ballot measure being approved a special election to select a new five-member City Council would have to take place. It would then be up to the new council to select and hire a city manager who would take on the chief executive role formerly held by the city's mayor.
The newly elected City Council would also name someone from within its ranks to become mayor, a position with greatly reduced capacities.
Blaine County Commissioner
The District 1 Blaine County Commission race is the only contested race at the county level in the May 23 Primary Election. Democrats vying to represent southern Blaine County are Tammy Eaton, Carl B. Johnston, Larry Schoen and James R. Super.
The seat is being vacated by Commissioner Dennis Wright, who's retiring after 10 years of service with the county.
Republican Dale K. Ewersen, of Bellevue, also is on the ballot for District 1. He is unopposed in the primary election and will face off against the Democratic Primary winner in the November general election. Ewersen is a former Bellevue mayor and councilman who regularly attends county meetings.
The Democratic contenders shares several common views: preserve open space, natural resources and agricultural land; focus growth and development near the cities; boost affordable housing; and intensify regional planning efforts.
Experience, therefore, may be what sets the candidates apart:
· Schoen, current chair of the Blaine County Planning and Zoning Commission, has been involved with county affairs in one form or another since 1991, when he bought a farm near Silver Creek.
From 1994 to 2002 he served as commissioner and chairman of the Carey Rural Fire Protection District.
He's also served on multiple citizen advisory committees and has been on the board of directors for the Wood River Land Trust, the Environmental Resource Center and the Ranchers Association. He's a supervisor on the Blaine County Soil Conservation District and was a member of the steering committee for the USGS ground-and-surface water study. He founded Farm Day in Blaine County nine years ago, and has been involved with the Democratic Party on a local, regional and national level.
· Super is the owner of Super Outfitter Adventures of Sun Valley. He grew up in Emmett, Idaho, where he served on the city council for over six years. He lives south of Bellevue and regularly attended the P&Z commission's review of the complex 2025 planning proposal. He issued several comments during the review process and displayed a vast knowledge of the proposals. He unsuccessfully ran for the District 1 seat against Dennis Wright in 2002.
· Eaton has served on the Bellevue City Council for six years, during which time she said the city has undergone massive changes. She feels her experience has prepared her well for a commission that will need to address several growth issues in the south county outside Bellevue city limits. This July she will graduate from the Northwest Community Development and Planning Institute.
· Johnston owns the Minnie Moore Mine west of Bellevue, where he's lived off and on since 1972. From 1987 to 1994 he served as a staff member for James H. Bilbray, who served as a Nevada congressman. He's a staunch supporter of the working class and a proponent for affordable housing. He's appeared in 17 motion pictures.
In District 3 (north county), Ketchum resident Mickey Garcia is challenging Democrat Sarah Michael, the current chair of the Blaine County Commission. Since he's running as an Independent, he will breeze on to the November election.
Candidates in all other county office elections are uncontested and will appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.
