WECRD candidates explain positions

Mollie Marsh

incumbent board member

As a candidate for re-election to the unpaid office of the Western Elmore County Recreation District Board of Directors, I would like to clarify some issues.

Since 2000 when the WECRD was formed by a favorable vote of 60 percent, the WECRD Board has sought to fulfill the people's mandate of building a recreation center.

The board has saved and invested the tax dollars, studied other similar facilities, worked with an architect, contacted members of our congressional delegation for federal funding, applied for grants and purchased land perfect for the facility.

As a citizen of Western Elmore County, you are on the doorstep to building Stage I of your much needed recreation center DEBT FREE. Western Elmore County needs to move forward, not backward.

Listed below are some facts:

1. Recreation needs in Western Elmore County have not changed.

I have gone door to door and talked with hundreds of voters. Our need for a recreation center is more acute than ever. Western Elmore County has grown. Nearly 1000 new residences have been built since 2000!

2. The facility is affordable to build -- debt free because:

* you own the land.

* you have nearly $1M in savings earning interest.

* you are very close to having the $294,000 federal ITM grant.

* you have Bionomics completing the required HUD environmental assessment pro bono.

* you have a preliminary design of Stage I completed by Olson & Associates pro bono.

3. The facility is affordable to operate because:

* Green Play, a recreational analysis company, has developed a preliminary operational budget and five-year pro forma that validates the sustainability of the WECRD Recreation Center. Green Play indicates the WECRD Recreation Center contains the right components, which are energy efficient and labor efficient.

* indoor aquatics: warm water therapy and recreational pools.

* walking circuit.

* birthday party room, youth area, craft/classroom area.

* baby sitting (for children of members).

* WiFi access multipurpose space.

4. The facility will be affordable to use because:

* a low cost pricing structure will draw families for successful operation.

* scholarships will help those who cannot afford a membership.

* Pat O'Toole, Green Play Parks and Recreation Consulting, stated: "I have included my opinion of probable operating expenses based on costing trends we have seen in similar facilities within the same region of the United States with like size and amenities. While we cannot project major demographic or economic changes in the future, given the information that is currently available, I feel that if these assumptions are incorporated, there are very adequate expense dollars represented in this estimated annual budget to operate the proposed facility, based on the conceptual floor plan and our discussions on which amenities will be included.

"While we can't guarantee certain costs and revenues, I feel that the estimated bottom line of this operational budget is achievable for the Western Elmore County Recreation District based on the participation percentage trends we are seeing nationally and matching those trends to your demographics, household income levels, age breakdowns, and pricing, while taking into consideration the other service providers in Mountain Home."

5. The facility will be an economic benefit to Western Elmore County because:

* over 40 part-time and full-time jobs will be created.

* quality of life will be increased, encouraging new business and home growth.

* youth will have a safe meeting and exercising location.

6. The tax options were specified on the ballot of 2000.

The per household fee was changed legally and ethically to a tax levy by a unanimous vote of the WECRD directors at the urging of the citizens of Western Elmore County to build a recreation center sooner than later.

7. The current WECRD tax levy provides tax relief to the poorest. Currently, an owner of a $100,000 home with a homeowner's exemption pays just $30 annually, $4.50 less than the per-household fee.

8. Businesses were not taxed in the WECRD until late 2007.

For five years households paid 100 percent of the taxes. No business paid tax. During this time, a Capital Campaign Feasibility Study was completed predicting the level of philanthropic donations the WECRD could expect from Western Elmore County to help construct the Recreation Center; the results were not encouraging. Using the .0006 multiplier specified in Idaho Code 31-4318, for every $1 million dollars of business value the tax is a total of $600.

9. The current WECRD tax levy requires out-of-state businesses also pay their share.

In 2009, over $50,000 of the taxes will come from businesses whose headquarters are outside of the WECRD boundaries. That accounts for over 13 percent of the WECRD revenue generated in 2009 from companies such as Chevron, Houston; Holly Energy Partners, Austin; Union Pacific Railroad, Omaha; Cargill, Las Vegas; Exxon Mobil, Las Vegas; American Telephone, NJ- Quest, Denver; Northwest Pipeline, Tulsa, etc.

10. Western Elmore County needs to preserve the Mission of the Western Elmore County Recreation District. Now, when the community need is greatest, the WECRD assets should not be liquidated and spent frivolously on small projects. Western Elmore County has been looking forward to this recreation facility for too long to throw away all of the plans just because a few people have decided not to support something that is beneficial to the whole community.

Now that all the pieces are in place: the land, the money, the community need and desire, and professional analysis indicating sustainability, let's build Stage I of the WECRD Recreation Center, debt-free.

Leanna Whitney

challenger

My name is Leanna Whitney and I am running for a position on the Western Elmore County Recreation District Board.

I've lived in this community all my life and I love it dearly.

I was elected to three terms in the Idaho House of Representatives and have been city treasurer for 20 years.

I've had occasional questions about my job as city treasurer -- is it a conflict? The answer is no. I verified this with the city attorney and the state Attorney General's office before running. Like school district employees currently serving as city council members, a city employee can serve on the WECRD Board.

Hopefully, my knowledge of government budgeting and my ability to collaborate would be helpful to the district.

I have tremendous admiration for my opponent, Mollie Marsh. She's a committed community volunteer, with many years dedicated to this project. I respect Mollie and I like her.

So why run against her? It isn't personal. It's not about who Mollie is, or who I am. It's about recent decisions of the board, the course of the district's future and my desire to give voters a choice.

First, a little rumor control about my intentions: I do NOT want to see the district dissolved or its assets liquidated.

I believe the district has a tremendous opportunity to do good for this community, as long as they communicate openly, keep taxes low and provide affordable, financially sustainable recreation opportunities in a changing economy.

At this point, after seven years of existence, the WECRD Board has not yet produced a detailed financial plan to prove their vision is do-able within a reasonable time frame, and is affordable to access and operate.

Economic signs are pointing to a very difficult recession. So the most important question is "Where is the financial plan spreadsheet?"

Send out newsletters. Post financial specifics on your website. If a financial plan exists, put it out for all to see.

The public is entitled to full disclosure with solid, realistic numbers.

However, in volatile financial times, I believe one plan is not enough.

If elected, I would help develop a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C and then actively communicate the details of those plans to the public.

Given the national economy, we must be realistic and calculate not only the best-case scenario, but also the worst-case scenario.

Using those numbers, if pools are affordable to build, operate and access -- great. If not, if costs are impractical in the midst of tough financial times, then let's be honest and move forward with other proposals to provide much-needed benefit to the community now.

WECRD has close to $1 million and land that's purchased but undeveloped.

I'm concerned the board is so rigidly attached to aquatics -- the most costly portion to build and operate -- they are holding back all of the dollars for that purpose, even though a facility without aquatics, or other recreation programming for youth, seniors and families, might provide affordable benefits to the community immediately.

These options need to be explored with an attitude of openness. Board members should accept input and criticism gladly, as an opportunity to fine tune their decision-making.

Secondly, I strongly disagree with the board's decision to change from a per household fee to a property tax levy. This increased taxes from $250,000 to over $413,000 annually (more than a 60 percent increase in one year) without a vote of the public.

When the district was sold in October of 2000, the Mountain Home News noted the Blue Ribbon Committee (the organizing group) "is actually recommending a hearth tax, a $35 per household per year tax rather than a levy based on property valuations...."

Many citizens voted in favor of the Rec District because a per household fee seemed reasonable. As more houses are built, more revenue is raised. Business property, equipment and farms weren't taxed.

After using the household fee for six years, the board suddenly changed to a property tax levy on the assessed value of homes and businesses, offering minimal communication to the public. Businesses that paid zero before were now paying several hundred dollars.

This was legal, but it wasn't right. It also created a credibility issue for the board. If elected I would work diligently to reverse this decision.

Finally, the board is using ten-year-old data to develop their Phase I design. That simply doesn't make sense to me.

Before spending a million dollars, wouldn't you want the most accurate, most current information possible? This community has changed a lot in ten years, and recreation has too.

If elected I would work to obtain updated facts based on current recreation needs. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring groups to the table, engage the community, and plan strategically.

Also, collaboration should be discussed and duplication of services avoided, so the WECRD board must be leaders in reaching out to the cchool district, the city and the county.

Currently, there seems to be resentment or suspicion toward other jurisdictions, based on a perceived lack of cooperation in the years since WECRD was formed. It's time to set that old baggage aside, join hands and get things done for the good of the community. Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to move in that direction.

If the issues I've raised make sense to you, I would deeply appreciate your vote. Whether I win or lose, this has been a lively and educational race and it's giving people a choice between two approaches. Voters are better informed about district decisions, and the board will feel a greater level of accountability. That's all good.

At the end of the day, no matter how you vote or where you stand, we're all neighbors who care about each other and the strength of this community.