Kellogg voters enact resort tax; ESHD dissolved

Shoshone County residents voted Tuesday to dissolve the East Shoshone Hospital District, to implement a resort tax to help pay for Kellogg street maintenance, and to not fund a new fire station for District 1.

The fate of the hospital district was overwhelmingly decided 711 to 102, and the funds it controls - more than $230,000 - will be transferred to Shoshone County's general fund.

The Shoshone County Commission voted 2-1 on March 21 to allow voters to determine if the East Shoshone Hospital District will be dissolved.

The commission decided to place the voting issue on Tuesday's ballot following a public hearing March 18, which resulted from a petition with 988 names being submitted to the county commission to dissolve the district.

Kellogg's resort tax prevailed 207 to 64. The city will use the money generated from the 3.5 percent room occupancy tax on people staying fewer than 30 days in hotels, tourist homes, and vacation condominium rentals in the city to fund street maintenance. The city is putting new pavement down on roads with settlement money and estimates upkeep to be $150,000 per year.

The $2.2 million fire station proposal failed to carry the 60 percent approval needed to fund the project, according to unofficial results presented by election officials Wednesday. Residents voted 261 to 253 in favor of the proposal, but the Silverton precinct was the only one voting in favor of the measure, 65-42. Wallace and Osburn voters opposed the idea, 33-40 and 148-155 respectively.

* Dale Jacobs and Duane E. Little carried the most votes for the two available seats on the Central Shoshone County Water District Board. Jacobs received 324 votes, Little had 308. The third-place finisher, Thomas Benson had 226 votes.

* Anna Berger defeated Victoria A. Hull, 73-58 for Wallace School District trustee for Zone 3, and Minde Beehner claimed the Zone 5 race over Michael Goldade, 57-45.

* Members representing the Committee to Dissolve the East Shoshone Hospital District ran away with their elections. Kip McGillivray received 576 votes, Matt Beehner, 481, and Ronald D. Heyn, 394, completing a clean sweep for six-year terms. George A. Clapp garnered 568 votes for a four-year term, and Donald D. Rinaldi received 400 votes for a two-year term.

* Shoshone County voters opted 20-5 in favor of organizing a Calder Water and Sewer District.