By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
Ahead of an upcoming election with serious implications for Big Sky’s future, Big Sky leaders are pushing hard to educate the community and encourage voter participation.
Kevin Germain, board chair of the Big Sky Resort Area District, praised his fellow Resort Tax trustees for their work distributing information about the Livable Big Sky voter education campaign. It focuses on three BSRAD-related ballot initiatives: renewal of Big Sky’s 3% resort tax through 2065; long-term BSRAD debt to fund the Cold Smoke workforce housing neighborhood; and long-term BSRAD debt to fund renovations of the Big Sky Community Park.
“If you do not know about this election, you do not live in Big Sky,” Germain said during the March 13 BSRAD board meeting.
Board member Sarah Blechta said voting gives a voice to residents, many of whom often express a desire to have a say in local affairs.
“There’s fundamentally nothing more democratic than this process,” said Daniel Bierschwale, BSRAD executive director.
Voting deadlines
The May 6 election is a mail-in election, and voters must be registered and active—voters who missed a recent election may not be active, in which case they will not receive a ballot. Voters can check registration status online at votemt.gov.
April 7 is the deadline for voter registration.
County elections offices will mail ballots on April 18, and voters must return ballots to county elections office by 8 p.m. on May 6. Bierschwale recommends returning ballots via mail no later than April 28—after that time, he recommends dropping ballots off in person.
Bierschwale hopes all organizations on the receiving end of Resort Tax grants will understand the importance of renewing the 3% resort tax through 2065. In addition to extending the regular impact of resort tax on local government services and infrastructure, the 3% renewal would enable secure, long-term public financing mechanisms for BSRAD, including improved bond terms for the Cold Smoke and Community Park projects, if voters approve.
He said Big Sky has a very engaged community and he expects voters to do their research, and make their voices heard as they typically do with a very turnout high rate for local elections.
“And I know… there was not a bond that passed in Gallatin County in the last election cycle. But I’m confident that this community is very, very sophisticated in how it’s choosing to move forward into the future. And if it’s going to pass, it’s going to pass somewhere here in Big Sky,” Bierschwale said.
Germain pointed out one key difference between those county-wide bonds and the Livable Big Sky projects up for vote: “This does not increase taxes. We should just say that five times over.”
The two Livable Big Sky bonds—Cold Smoke and the Big Sky Community Park—will be repaid using resort tax collections, and Big Sky’s resort tax will not increase if bonds are approved. The bonds are entirely separate from a property tax bond.
Livable Big Sky—a partnership between BSRAD, the Big Sky Community Housing Trust and Big Sky Community Organization—has planned a series of public engagement events through mid-April.
