Martha Burke and Anthony St. George are facing off in a Hailey City Council race during a severe economic downturn. Despite the fall of the real estate market, which had fueled rapid expansion in recent years, the winning candidate will face big decisions on major annexations and commercial growth.
Neither candidate says he or she wants to increase neighborhood densities to accommodate new growth when the economy does turn around, and both say they would like to see a more diverse economy, less dependent on real estate.
So how do they differ?
The candidates spoke separately to the Idaho Mountain Express on the issues of residential and commercial growth and their plans for revitalizing the Hailey business community.
"I would feel better about my opponent if he had served on the Planning and Zoning Commission first," said Burke, who lives in the same old Hailey neighborhood as St. George, a real estate agent with Ketchum-based Rokan, and a newcomer to politics.
"I like Martha," said St. George, who touts his relative youth and business experience as benefits to his campaign. "But I don't see my perspective represented on the City Council."
St. George's criticism of the city's development impact fees are an example of his different perspective.
"We need to re-evaluate it to not disincentivize small businesses," he said, adding that real estate agents like himself also represent businesses. He said he has recently worked toward negotiating "participation rents" for clients with tenants struggling to pay leases, allowing for the building owner to take a share of gross receipts in lieu of a portion of lease payments.
"Building owners and business owners should be partners," he said.
Both St. George and Burke would like to see River Street developed with some mixed-use buildings that house residential units on the upper floor. A good recent example of this type of development is the three-story Village at Hailey Center.
Burke said she would like future examples to include "entry level" condos, rather than high-priced top-floor residences.
Jon McGowan, the developer of the Village at Hailey Center, sent word recently to Hailey City Attorney Ned Williamson that he is considering a lawsuit to challenge the city's development impact fees.
Burke defends the fees, saying they provide developers a chance to "buy in" to existing services.
"If someone has to pay for growth, it should be those who cause new growth," she said. "It may be an economic deterrent, but ultimately new growth means more police, firefighters and eventually new sewer and water facilities. Perhaps there could be a decelerated scale for in-fill development to reduce inequity, but the fees can't go away."
Burke said she wishes the city had built sidewalks long ago.
St. George said he would have preferred to see Albertsons supermarket located four blocks south of its present location, and a generally more compact business core.
St. George said he supports the annexation of Quigley Canyon, requested by developer Dave Hennessy, but questions the developer's ability to make the project succeed under current market conditions.
Burke said she is unable to comment on the application since she is in the process of deliberations on the proposed 365-unit development, but she did comment generally on the significance of annexations to the city.
"We cannot rely on annexations as funding mechanisms," she said. "Residential development doesn't pay for itself in the long run, even with annexation fees and development impact fees. What does pay for itself is business development, because there are less services to maintain and a larger tax base."
Both candidates said they would like to see more businesses such as Rocky Mountain Hardware, Power Engineers and Marketron move to Hailey.
The city election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
A second seat up for election, held by incumbent Don Keirn, is uncontested.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
Election
During the city election on Nov. 3, Hailey voters will also vote on whether to extend the city's local option tax for another 20 years. City officials are hoping a ballot initiative supporting the tax term extension will secure what they say has become an important source of revenue for the city. Sixty percent of voters will have to vote in favor of the extension for it to pass.
Martha Burke
Tony St. George
