Bellevue city election
Where: Bellevue City Hall, 115 East Poplar.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. With four candidates vying for three open seats on the Bellevue City Council, voters are charged with the difficult task of choosing the most appropriate men come election day Tuesday, Nov. 6.
The successful trio will face a number of challenges themselves, as the issues in front of Bellevue will have lasting impacts on the city.
While the large-scale annexation proposals by developers Harry Rinker and John Scherer are currently dead in the water, council members will most likely have to make a final decision on developer Jeff Pfaeffle's annexation application, which would add approximately 100 acres and nearly 200 homes to the city.
This growth could have impacts on the financial situation of the city, which tends to struggle with budget shortfalls every year. The current council members cut their city salaries in half, to a mere $100 per month, to help increase funding for other city departments.
Incumbent Councilman Steve Fairbrother knows all about the city's economic woes. Having served as mayor from 1999 to 2001 and currently seeking re-election to his third term on the council, Fairbrother was an advocate of the increased tax levy approved by voters in May. Looking at other ways to increase cost efficiency, Fairbrother, an equine veterinarian, has said he supports entering into contracts for service with both the Hailey Fire Department and the Blaine County Sheriffs Office as long as the city can afford them.
Improving the level of service of the Police Department is also a top priority for Larry Plott, another city government veteran who served on the council from 1998 to 2000 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003.
Plott, who has lived full-time in Bellevue since 1996, was the director of the state's law enforcement training academy for 22 years and said his managerial skills would be an asset to the council.
While he has never been part of city government, Gene Ramsey also has an extensive law enforcement background and is currently the Blaine County chief deputy sheriff. A 20-year resident of Bellevue, he stated that he would like to ensure the city remains an attractive place to live, work and recreate.
Ramsey has said that Bellevue needs to look at possibilities for affordable housing, an issue with which all cities of the Wood River Valley are currently dealing, but all the communities need to work together rather than Bellevue being the sole solution.
Josh Rand, a framing contractor with his own business, said the housing issue is a top priority, as it's a necessary step to help employers retain workers.
Rand, who's originally from Utah and moved to Bellevue four years ago, said that it's important to attract a workforce that will become the backbone of the valley.
For the successful candidates, one thing's for sure: There will be plenty of work to do over the next two years.
(For a look at the candidates' answers to a series of questions posed by the Idaho Mountain Express, see the Friday, Nov. 2, edition of the newspaper.)
Gene Ramsey, Steve Fairbrother, Larry Plott. Josh Rand
