It was a busy year at Hailey City Hall, with an election that not only determined who will sit in the mayoral seat come 2008, but also brought a debate about legalizing marijuana.
In addition to the change in leadership, there was also a widespread shake-up of city staff.
Rick Davis elected mayor
Veteran City Councilman Rick Davis defeated political neophyte and Hailey native Erin Dunn in the Nov. 6 mayoral election. He will replace Susan McBryant—who has sat in the city's top seat for the past five years—in early 2008.
As was the election for mayor, the race for Davis's City Council seat was a close one, requiring a runoff election, as none of the three candidates, Fritz Haemmerle, Stefanie Marvel or Geoff Moore, garnered the required majority of votes.
When the polls reopened in December, Haemmerle, a Hailey lawyer who had served as Blaine County prosecuting attorney, won by a wide margin over Marvel, the Planning and Zoning Commission chairwoman.
Marijuana issue makes national news
Hailey made national news last fall when the city's electorate approved three marijuana reform initiatives.
The issue has left the City Council in somewhat of a quandary. The people have spoken, but what they want is contrary to state law, city officials have been informed by the Idaho Attorney General's Office. The attorney general recommended that the city not enact any of the initiatives into law.
Four initiatives, instigated by Garden City resident Ryan Davidson, chairman of The Liberty Lobby of Idaho, were on the Nov. 6 ballot. One to legalize marijuana in the city failed, but the other three passed. The first of those would legalize medical use of marijuana, the second would make enforcement of marijuana laws the city's lowest police priority and the third would legalize industrial use of hemp. Advocates say hemp is not marijuana, but Webster's Dictionary disagrees, as do state and federal law.
The City Council was still mulling over the initiatives as 2007 came to a close.
Davidson, meanwhile, has said he plans to put future marijuana reform initiatives before the voters in other Wood River Valley municipalities.
High turnover in city staff ranks
Within a three-month span during the summer, Hailey saw the departure of four important city staff members, half of whose positions have been filled.
Hailey Police Chief Brian McNary, Planning and Zoning Director Kathy Grotto and Public Works Manager Ray Hyde all departed at the end of July. City Administrator Jim Spinelli left in September to return to his previous position as executive director of the Hailey Chamber of Commerce.
The city has yet to replace Spinelli and Hyde, opting instead to wait for the transition in leadership to replace the city administrator while remaining uncertain about keeping Hyde's former position.
Former Ketchum planner Beth Robrahn took over as planning director in August, and former police Lt. Jeff Gunter was named chief in October. Mayor McBryant praised Gunter for increasing the communication between the police department and other city departments.
City considers extending sewer
In December, the City Council nearly accepted an offer of $750,000 to extend Hailey's sewer services to the proposed 115-home Spring Canyon Ranch subdivision, located in Blaine County just west of the city in Croy Canyon.
The proposal, brought before the city in July, originally made no significant financial compensation to Hailey. However, the deal included donations of $1 million and 10 acres to help develop the neighboring Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation's eldercare facility and to build a new bridge on Croy Creek Road over the Big Wood River.
While city officials initially expressed their approval of the deal, they later requested an additional substantial fee to provide city sewer services to the development.
The issue is scheduled to be back before the council at its first meeting of the new year, which will take place on Jan. 14.
LOT nets city more than expected
With August being the final month of annual calculation for the local option tax implemented on July 1, 2006, the city realized a revenue of $462,721, nearly $40,000 more than Hailey officials had budgeted for the 14-month period.
The city had originally added $425,000 into the 2006-2007 fiscal year budget for the LOT, which collects a 3 percent tax on car rentals and lodging, 2 percent on alcoholic beverages, and 1 percent on restaurant food sales until 2010, when residents will have to vote on the tax once again.
Express staff writer Terry Smith contributed to this report.
Rick Davis
