Business owner supports Haskill easement

As a fellow resident and a downtown business owner, I strongly support the acquisition of a conservation easement in Haskill Basin to permanently protect our municipal water supply.

The 1 percent resort tax increase necessary to purchase the easement from F.H. Stoltze is a negligible cost compared to the many benefits of securing the Haskill Basin watershed for future generations. And the resort tax increase would be much less costly to the taxpayers of Whitefish than the $500,000 it would cost annually to pump and treat water from Whitefish Lake, should the city lose access to water in the Haskill Basin.

The resort tax is currently at 2 percent, and the acquisition of Haskill Basin would only increase this tax to 3 percent for the next 10 years. This slight increase will not deter business from our community — there are simply too many outstanding and diverse shopping, lodging and recreational opportunities here, and people will continue to visit and do business.

The additional revenue from the tax increase will actually benefit our community — of the 1 percent increase, 25 percent would go toward property tax relief, 70 percent would go toward the repayment of the easement, and 5 percent would go toward merchants’ cost of administration.

We are incredibly fortunate to have this once in a lifetime opportunity. Purchasing the Haskill Basin easement would give Whitefish full access to a permanent supply of clean water. The acquisition would give the city jurisdiction of its own water supply and secure the availability of fresh, clean water for future generations.

The land could continue to be used by the public for recreational purposes, and would be protected from development, thus retaining valuable wildlife habitat and safe guarding our city’s renowned scenic vistas.

Clean, available water is an essential part of life. For the health and well being of our community, vote yes for water!

— Leslie Leroux owns Ethos in Whitefish