The city of Bellevue routinely faces economic challenges that the north valley would hardly notice. For example, the entire city budget is comparable to the budget for the Community Library in Ketchum. This summer the city had to forego street repairs in favor of fixing a road-scraper that broke down during the winter.
Nevertheless, Bellevue officials are upbeat and positive about the future.
On Wednesday night two candidates for City Council, eight-year veteran Tammy Eaton and challenger Brett Gelsky were joined by Mayor John Anderson for "Pizza and Politics" at Bellevue City Hall. The forum, now in its 27th year, was sponsored by the Idaho Mountain Express and moderated by Publisher Pam Morris.
Incumbent councilmen Chris Koch and Shaun Mahoney did not attend. Steve Fairbrother, whose council seat is not up for grabs, was in attendance, but did not participate in the discussion.
Anderson is running for office unopposed.
The candidates outlined their visions for the future of the city and answered questions from about a dozen attendees, including several Wood River High School members of Maritt Wolfrom's American government class..
Anderson questioned the candidates on their five-year visions for the city.
"I'd like to keep Bellevue's down-home attitude, rather than a city attitude," Gelsky said. "This city has never been like Ketchum or Sun Valley, and it never needs to be."
Eaton agreed the town needed to keep its "small-town feel," but stressed the importance of strategic planning for the city's future. She said her proudest accomplishments over the past few years include the establishment of guidelines for annexations when developers Harry Rinker and John Scherer formed plans to bring 560 acres and 1,000 homes into the city limits.
"We are more respected now as a community than ever," she said. "We are not a bedroom community. We should take a more leading role as the 'Gateway to the Sawtooths.'"
Gelsky is a Hailey native who has owned a home in Bellevue since 1978. He served as president of the Sawtooth Snow Machine Club during negotiations with backcountry and cross-country skiers over shared use of public lands in southern Idaho.
"The compromise we worked out has been copied in other regions of Idaho and at Yellowstone in Wyoming," said Gelsky, whose day job is managing the recycling center at Ohio Gulch, where he has worked for five years. He said he was coaxed into running for office by Mayor Anderson last year.
"The scope of my political activities have been recreation and work-related," Gelsky said. "I don't want to change anything in particular. I just want to be involved."
Eaton is a full-time fundraiser for the Blaine County Senior Center. Prior to holding office she worked for several years as a civic administrator for Blaine County. Both candidates said they favor paying for the newly consolidated emergency dispatch service through a county tax levy override, despite the larger per-call share expenses faced by the north valley cities.
"The Sun Valley perspective is only one perspective in the county," Gelsky said. "Dispatch services are not for Sun Valley, but for the county as a whole."
Eaton said precedents have been set around the country when similar disputes were settled with county override levies.
"Emergency dispatch services know no boundaries," she said.
Both candidates were also in favor of exploring consolidation scenarios for fire departments in the valley.
"Our emergency service has been served well by consolidating with the Sheriff's Department," Eaton said. "What we have to look at is what will bring the best level of service to the highest number of people for the longest period of time."
Gelsky said the Bellevue Volunteer Fire Department has done a great job, but that it makes sense to look at consolidation to see if it would improve the level of service.
The primary concerns he expressed were making sure the budget is balanced, managing growth and getting the public more informed about the economic challenges facing the city.
"These are hard economic times," he said. "Building permits have dropped sharply and this is a major source of revenue. I am not sure what the solution is right now, but everyone is still going to expect the same level of services."
Gelsky and Eaton both see a need to bring businesses incentives to downtown Bellevue, and have put affordable housing initiatives on the back burner. While providing no concrete plans, they both expressed concern over how to trim an already trim city budget and still keep a balanced level of services for residents.
"Our budget was cut unexpectedly $27,000 for 2009," Eaton said. "This is very impactful in terms of the level of service in Bellevue. We sometimes have to choose between keeping the streets paved or safe with police patrol cars. These are the hard decisions we sometimes have to make."
The candidates expressed support for one another at the end of the forum.
"I know for a fact that you care about Bellevue," Eaton said to Gelsky. "We are a team here. If you need something we are here for each other."
They also had messages for the north valley.
"We are all one community," Eaton said. "You are only a piece of it, just like we are."
Gelsky recommended that north valley officials "do what is in your heart, not only what's in your head."
Mayor Anderson recommended that the cities to the north drop partisanship and politics and do what is best for their communities.
"Take care of your people," he said. "I am proud of Bellevue's council and how we get things done down here. We are going to show the north how it is done."
Polling for the Bellevue election will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m on Nov. 4. at Bellevue City Hall. Absentee ballots are available at City Hall until 5 p.m. Nov 3.
Eight-year City Council veteran Tammy Eaton is running for another two-year term.
Photo by David N. Seelig
