There are hundreds of candidates up and down ballots this election season in Idaho. But there's also a good many initiatives this year; and one of the more intriguing is asking voters in an often-snowbound community to think about funding an indoor recreation center.
As soon as the snow starts flying, recreation in the McCall region is usually limited to skiing at Brundage orTamarack, snowshoeing in Ponderosa Park, or possibly skating at the Manchester Ice Center. But if funding were to be approved, a proposed fieldhouse could add a few recreation options: an indoor space big enough for soccer, football and/or baseball; and future expansions could add a pool or pickleball courts.
“The proposed recreation district would be funded by an additional 5 percent tax on stays at hotels and short-term rentals in McCall, Donnelly, near Brundage Mountain Resort and Tamarack,” said Max Silverson, editor and reporter at the McCall Star-News who has written extensively on the issue. “We spoke to a number of hotel owners and short-term renal operators and they are unanimously not in favor … the main reason, they say is the hotel room taxes are already too high.”
If approved, the new tax is estimated to generate about $1.5 million per year, which is nowhere near how much construction of the rec center might be. Indeed, there are plenty of questions regarding the ballot initiative as the hours until Election Day fly by.
Silverson visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to preview the unique election and give a sense of what voters in the resort community are saying about the ballot initiative.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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