Page 22 - Flathead Beacon // 5.13.15

22 | MAY 13, 2015
NEWS
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WHITEFISH
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voters overwhelmingly approved a 1 percentage point resort tax increase that will help finance the purchase of a conservation easement in Haskill Basin. The city’s resort tax on lodging, restaurant food and drinks and retail items will increase from 2 to 3 percent.
It was a watershed victory for con- servation advocates and city officials who saw the need to permanently pro- tect Whitefish’s municipal water sup- ply while preserving recreational ac- cess to a 3,000-acre tract of land – in- cluding Muhlfeld, who championed the resort tax increase over other funding measures, like increased water rates on Whitefish residents.
“It was the best funding mechanism in that it spread the burden most equita- bly throughout the community and our many visitors,” he said. “It seemed to me only fair to spread that burden amongst all users, not just tax payers.”
Muhlfeld said he heard from fixed- income residents and seniors who ex- plained that a hike in their water rate would hurt their pocket books; rather than require 5,200 water users to shoul- der the burden, voters thought it better for the 500,000 visitors that Whitefish draws annually to help offset the costs.
And while the resort tax increase was met with plenty of skepticism, par- ticularly from downtown retailers, Muhlfeld said the next step is to ensure a smooth transition by rolling out a shop local campaign that will benefit down- town businesses.
“We are sensitive that the majority of our shops downtown are locally owned and operated, and by embracing a shop- local campaign and spending money lo- cally, consumers will understand that their dollars are going to protect the lo- cal water supply and recreational access, so they can feel proud to contribute to making Whitefish such a great place to live and work,” Muhlfeld said.
Another major issue at the fore of public discourse is the new City Hall and parking structure, which Muhlfeld said is close to moving forward.
He said the city council should ex- ercise fiscal restraint in its final deci- sion but recognized the gravity of the legacy project.
“We are very close and it has taken some time to get to where we are be- cause it’s a very important project for the downtown core,” Muhlfeld said. “It
is going to be a legacy project for the next 100 years, so we have to get it right.”
A three-story City Hall building with a full basement, parking structure and retail space is estimated to cost $14.6 million. The city proposes to fund the project with resort tax increment funds.
Muhlfeld says council has trimmed about $1.2 million from the price tag by decreasing the size of the proposed base- ment by about 4,000 square feet and will continue to work to bring down the cost.
Testament to the city’s current slate of future-shaping projects is the city’s recent budget proposal.
The city has proposed a 63 percent budget increase for the coming fiscal year, which would mean dramatically raising the property taxes in Whitefish for the first time since 2009.
The proposed budget of $65.9 mil- lion is up $25.4 million from last year, due mainly to the inclusion of the $14.6 million City Hall and parking structure complex, as well as $8.5 million related to a state revolving fund loan to provide funding for the Haskill Basin conser- vation easement.
Still, the budget calls for an increase of 22.39 mills levied.
“The proposed FY16 budget was probably the most difficult budget in over five years,” Stearns wrote. “Re- sumption of growth has put additional demands on staff resources and there were many proposals for new staff. Some I could recommend in this budget and some I could not.”
A public hearing and approval of the preliminary budget is planned for either June 1 or June 15, with final budget ap- proval on Aug. 17.
The Highway 93 West Corridor Plan was also recently approved, and Muhl- feld commended the council and the corridor plan’s steering committee for balancing residential concerns and the need for future development, particular- ly by encouraging small, artisanal busi- nesses that are compatible for the area.
He said the council and planning board could now turn their attention to other corridors, like U.S. Highway 93 South and Wisconsin Avenue.
“I’m very satisfied with the prog- ress the council and planning staff have made on some critical issues,” he said. “As always, I encourage residents to participate in their city government because these are big, often times diffi- cult decisions that we are making. They affect our community and the people who live here.”
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downtown
downtown Kalispell
Kalispell
business owners:
You don’t have to be located in Downtown Kalispell to support the heart of the community, but you CAN reap the benefits of being a KDA member!
Member Benefits:
• Listing on our website
• Discounted rates at Red Lion
• Cooperative print advertising for downtown businesses
• Discounted booth rate for Thursday!Fest
• Advance notification and opportunity to participate in downtown signature events
• Elevated visibility through sponsorship of events
• A venue for you
• Enhanced investment downtown
• Contribute to shaping the future of downtown
Just to name a few!
“WE ARE VERY CLOSE AND IT HAS TAKEN SOME TIME TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE IT’S A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR THE DOWNTOWN CORE. IT IS GOING TO BE A LEGACY PROJECT FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS, SO WE HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT.” John Muhlfeld
406-253-6923 • DOWNTOWNKALISPELL.COM