No wiser use of resort tax

I had a hand in the enactment of the resort tax about 20 years ago when it was approved by the state legislature. As I expected, the people of Whitefish went ahead and implemented it a short time later.

As a result, an estimated half million overnight tourist visitors a year have helped to both maintain the streets and hold property taxes down for the people of Whitefish.

There is currently before us an additional opportunity to use the resort tax to assure a supply of clean drinking water for the long-term future. By now purchasing a conservation easement on property in Haskill Basin owned by Stoltze Land and Lumber Company, from where most local drinking water comes, there is an unique opportunity to prevent those headwaters from being degraded.

In addition to protecting the water supply, we can assure that 3,000 acres of prime forest land will continue to provide ongoing outdoor recreation as well as jobs from the selective harvest of timber guaranteed by Stoltze’s best forest management practices.

Ballots will go out on April 8 so that Whitefish voters can decided whether to increase the resort tax from 2 percent to 3 percent to make the funding available to protect Haskill Basin and the city’s water supply for ours and future generations.

I know from my years as Montana’s Secretary of State and chief elections officer, that citizens often chose not to vote in special elections. Well, this particular special election is an important one with major far reaching implications. Voters will have until April 28 to return their ballots either by mail, or simply by dropping them off at City Hall.

I’ve never before offered my recommendation on a local ballot issue in well over 40 years of deep and continued involvement in the Whitefish community. I do so now. There could be no wiser use of our resort tax than protecting our water.

— Bob Brown, Whitefish