Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Hailey to seek $3.5M rodeo bond

Vote on initiative set for May 25


By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

Plans for the rodeo grounds in Hailey call for a new rodeo arena, an ice rink and improvements to the city skate park. Courtesy graphic

The Hailey City Council on Monday approved putting a $3.5 million bond initiative before voters to pay its promised share of a $6 million upgrade for the rodeo grounds at the south end of town.

If approved by voters on May 25, the bond will increase property taxes for 10 years by $33 for every $100,000 in valuation.

Redevelopment of the rodeo arena ranked at the top of a list of community priorities in a public survey last year. Hailey Ice—a nonprofit group planning to build a public ice rink—has raised $600,000 over the past 10 years to begin building a refrigerated ice rink on the site. Skateboarders would benefit from an expansion to the $400,000 world-class skate park that is also on the rodeo grounds property.

The Hailey Parks and Lands Board has raised about $81,000 so far from private donations, but expects to raise more this spring. The city hopes to break ground on the project immediately following the Fourth of July Rodeo.

Woodside resident Geoffrey Moore said the tax increase would create a hardship for Hailey residents hit hard during the recession.

"Adding taxes now is not right," he said.

Lorna Hazelton of the Sawtooth Rangers riding club, which holds a lease on the rodeo grounds, said, "I worry that the city of Hailey is getting stuck having to pay for what the whole county uses."

County Commissioner Tom Bowman told the council that rules for managing the rodeo arena had not been worked out sufficiently to move forward with a bond.

Sawtooth Rangers President Bill Bobbit agreed there were a lot of "unknowns," but the council voted unanimously to move forward.

"We need to give kids here stuff to do that doesn't cost them an arm and a leg," Councilwoman Martha Burke said.

Councilman Fritz Haemmerle, who was sitting in for Mayor Rick Davis at the meeting, said, "I am very excited about making something grand out of that area. Ultimately, the people will decide on this."

The council turned down an option to raise money by a tax levy override because it could delay construction completion until 2013. Council members also expressed a desire to take advantage of current low interest rates and relatively low construction costs during the recession.

The decision to put the bond out for a vote will not become legal until a third reading of the bond ordinance on April 12.

Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com




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