STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Tuesday’s primary election has two contested races and a supplemental school levy under consideration, all of which may be voted on by residents throughout the county.

BLAINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, District 1

Lindsay Mollineaux was appointed Blaine County commissioner a year ago following Dick Fosbury’s passing.  She has broken with the other commissioners on issues a couple times, saying her experience as an assistant economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as a research assistant at the International Monetary Fund and as an analytics officer for the City of New York has made her a fiscal conservative.

A Wood River Valley native and former director of the Environmental Resource Center, she says she wants to protect Highway 75 from commercial development and preserve agricultural and open spaces from housing. She notes that during her first year as commissioner, the commission embarked on a water protection plan and an inventory of heritage farmland.

Chris Johnson is now Bellevue mayor after stints with the Bellevue P&Z and city council. He says his time with the Blaine County Soil and Water Conservation District and his B.A. in geography and environmental studies makes himself particularly equipped to deal with water issues.

He has worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and supports keeping open spaces accessible for the public.

BLAINE COUNTY SHERIFF

Blaine County Sheriff Steve Harkins says he has served numerous roles in law enforcement during the past 33 years, including that of sheriff for eight years, Ketchum Police Chief and as a detective. He says he has successfully operated a staff of 70 and a 90-bed jail with a $10 million annual budget.

He says he often finds himself on the front lines with his officers investigating crimes and he notes that the detention center has had no lawsuit payouts during his tenure. He says his department is embarking on Crisis Intervention Training to teach officers best practices for responding to mental health crises. And he says that his staff does not discriminate, nor do they ask immigrants about the status.

Morgan Ballis is a school resource officer at Wood River High School, assigned there by the Hailey Police Department. An 11-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, he led combat operations in Iraq and counter-narcotics and human trafficking operations on the U.S. Mexico border. As president of the Idaho School Resource Officers, he testified at the legislature to defeat the Guns in Schools bill and he has created an LGBTQ+ community liaison at the Hailey Police Department.

He says he would like to create formal agreements between local law enforcements offices to operate collaboratively, establish a county-wide Joint Narcotics Task Force, educate new families on traffic laws and safe driving and collaborate with nonprofits on issues like suicide awareness and mental health.

BLAINE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPPLEMENTAL LEVY

The school district is seeking $1.85 million annually for two years to pay:

Gifted and Talented Program salaries ($282,043) and benefits ($94,014)

Preschool salaries ($354,362) and benefits ($118,121)

Half of Kindergarten salaries ($508,134) and benefits ($169,378)

Summer School salaries ($242,961) and benefits ($80,987)

The average estimated cost to BCSD property taxpayers would be $8.53 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions.

The levy needs 50 percent plus 1 approval to pass. School district residents approved a Plant Facilities Levy in August 2022 for improvement and maintenance of existing buildings.

POLL TIMES

Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 21

WHERE TO VOTE:

Sun Valley and Elkhorn, Precinct 002—Sun Valley City Hall

North Blaine County, Precinct 001--The Community Library in Ketchum

North Ketchum, Precinct 003—The Community Library

South Ketchum, Precinct 004—The Community Library

Quigley, Precinct 005—The Community Campus in Hailey

Deer Creek residents, Precinct 006—Community Campus

Northwest Hailey, Precinct 007—Community Campus

Northeast Hailey, Precinct 008—Community Campus

Southwest Hailey, Precinct 009—Community Campus

Northwest Woodside, Precinct 010—Community Campus

Southeast Woodside, Precinct 011—Community Campus

Poverty Flats, Precinct 012—Bellevue Elementary School

Bellevue, Precinct 013—Bellevue Elementary School.

Carey, precinct 014—Carey School

Gannett/Picabo, Precinct 015—Bellevue Elementary School

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. A photo ID and proof of residence mut be provided.

Questions? Visit www.co.blaine.id.us/196/Elections.