Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Manor levy passes easily

Voter turnout low throughout county

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By EXPRESS STAFF

Blaine County voters gave a resounding "yes" Tuesday to a proposed two-year property tax levy to help fund the Blaine Manor skilled-nursing facility in Hailey.

Voter turnout was low in the special election. A total of 1,890 votes were cast throughout the county, with 1,577 voters (83.5 percent) casting ballots in favor of the levy, while 312 (16.5 percent) voted against it. Of the nearly 12,000 registered voters in the county, just under 16 percent participated in the election.

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The ballot asked voters if the county should assess up to $1,990,000 in additional property taxes to cover expenses for the cash-poor facility. For the first year, it will add an estimated $9.40 in extra taxes for each $100,000 in assessed property value.

The levy amount is more than the average estimated $600,000 per year that Blaine County has spent to cover Blaine Manor's operating deficit since 2001.

Levy funds will be used to keep the facility open until early 2014, when a new, private facility, Croy Canyon Ranch, is projected to open west of Hailey.

For more on this story, see the Friday edition of the Mountain Express.

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