Before the Blaine County Recreation District throws a lot of time and money at creating pretty plans to expand the Aquatic Center in Hailey, it needs to ask a public larger than the valley's dedicated swimmers if it's willing to pay higher taxes to pay for it.
In view of voters' rejection of a countywide bond issue for north and south county recreation facilities in 1999, the Recreation District board needs to determine whether or not voter attitudes in Hailey and Bellevue have changed. It also needs to analyze the new political realities created in the wake of the defeat.
This would save money in the long run and prevent the energies of the staff and district board from being misspent.
In the 1999 election, Hailey and Bellevue rejected possibly the best deal on the planet for a recreation center.
Their voters defeated an $11.8 million bond issue. Had it passed, Hailey would now have a $5.8 million facility including an enclosed pool, a gym and a teen center. The bond would also have paid for a recreation center in Ketchum and playing fields in the county.
The beauty of it was that the primary financial burden would have fallen on the North County, which largely supported the bond, and cost Hailey/Bellevue taxpayers just $1 million. They would have paid a dollar and gotten six in return.
Hailey and Bellevue have changed some, but so has the North County. Hailey got a gym and a teen center in the Community Campus. Enclosed pools and a workout facility are under construction in Ketchum as part of a private/public effort with the YMCA.
The Rec District would be wise to conduct a survey of attitudes to determine if a new bond issue has any chance of success.
