There's not a lot of noise about them out there, but there are important elections next Tuesday on issues in Sun Valley, Blaine County and Bellevue.
· All voters will weigh in on a $6 million services contract between the county and a private nonprofit to build a nursing home and assisted living facility.
· Sun Valley voters will decide whether to reduce a resort city local option sales tax and whether to approve a $4.35 million water and sewer bond.
· Bellevue voters will—again—decide whether to increase its tax levy to ease its paper-thin budget.
Details on polling places and times are listed in this issue of the newspaper on pages A10 through A13.
Voters better not snooze, or they will surely lose. Here's our take on the issues:
Nursing Home Contract: Blaine County wants to sell its Blaine Manor nursing home for $6 million and contract with a private nonprofit foundation to build and operate a $20 million nursing and retirement community west of Hailey in Croy Canyon.
Blaine County now pays $600,000 a year to subsidize the nursing home. A yes vote on the contract could get it off the hook.
The land isn't zoned for this, it has no water or sewer available yet, but both the Blaine County Commissioners and the Hailey City Council seem amenable to the project, which would allow elders to stay close to their families and in the valley they love.
Our take: a tentative thumbs up.
Sun Valley sales tax reduction: The reduction is essential to bringing the city closer to fairness and equity relative to the sales tax charged in Ketchum. Sun Valley retail businesses are at a serious disadvantage. Voting yes will reduce the tax on retail sales from 3 percent to 2 percent, which is closer to Ketchum's 1 percent.
To vote otherwise is to risk putting the matter before the Legislature, which seems inclined to freeze or eliminate the resort cities sales tax. That could severely increase property taxes in Sun Valley and Ketchum, and erase benefits in Hailey.
SV Water and Sewer District Bond Issue: The $4.35 million bond would buy two new wells, a holding tank and piping to carry treated water for re-use on golf courses and in snow making. The cost to property owners of $15.89 per $100,000 of assessed value per year is a good deal, even though it nearly doubles indebtedness approved just three years ago.
Bellevue tax levy increase: A citizen's committee recommended this increase of $58.20 per $100,000 of property value to fund police, fire, streets and the library. Approval would add $200,000 to the city's $2.36 million budget and add a little nourishment to the city's thin gruel.
