Hailey City Councilwoman Carol Brown announced on Friday, July 27, that she will seek re-election this November to the seat she has held since 2002.
Brown officially began serving Hailey in January 2001 when she was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, becoming chair of the commission in January 2002. After being appointed to the council in November 2002 to fill a vacancy, Brown successfully ran for City Council in the November 2003 elections and is now coming to the end of her inaugural four-year term.
"The past five years on City Council have been challenging and very rewarding," Brown said in her announcement last week, citing her work on a development impact fee ordinance and local option tax as especially important accomplishments. In addition, she was a primary founder of the year-old Hailey Arts Commission, a result of her belief that the arts have "prominent place" in the city.
"There's a lot going on and it's a very exciting time for Hailey," Brown said this week.
Brown said her goals for the next four years are to implement a capital improvement plan, on which the city has begun working, and to focus on both the conservation of water in the city and finding new sources to improve supply.
When asked if she had any plans to run in the upcoming mayoral election, Brown stated that due to family commitments she can best serve the city in her present position.
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She added that she would like to see some younger residents run in this year's city office elections.
Brown's work on the council over the past five years has not gone unnoticed by her colleagues.
"Carol has been a great addition to the council," Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant said during a recent interview. "She provides good insight, discussion and debate."
Fellow council member Rick Davis added that Brown has done a lot of work interacting with a number of different committees and agencies, both within Hailey and throughout the greater Wood River Valley community.
Brown has also worked for the U.S. Forest Service since 1980 and spent 10 years working as a ski patroller on Bald Mountain.
Two of the four City Council seats—those occupied by Brown and Councilman Rick Davis—are up for re-election in November, as well as the mayor's position.
Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant announced last week that she will not seek re-election to the city's top office.
Carol Brown
