Blaine County Recreation District seeks $3 million permanent levy override for long‑term facilities and operations

Representatives from the Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD) presented to the Blaine County School District No. 61 board of trustees on March 11, 2025 to outline a countywide effort to place a permanent levy override on the May ballot. The BCRD said the measure would provide sustainable funding to maintain and expand recreation facilities and programs across Blaine County.

"This levy will ensure our ability to keep our services as our population grows, as costs for staff and equipment increase, and allows us to deal with unexpected needs and address opportunities as they arise," the BCRD representative said during the presentation. The presenter described a three‑part revenue model that currently combines levy revenue, earned revenues and donations, and argued that the current model has not kept pace with rising costs and growing community demand.

BCRD officials said the levy ask on the May ballot is for $3,000,000 (per year, as presented) and described outreach steps and a planned community engagement process to prioritize projects if voters approve the measure. Early voting was announced to begin April 28 with election day on May 20; the presenter said a levy calculator and informational materials are available on the BCRD website.

Trustees and district staff asked detailed questions about levy mechanics and likely uses. A trustee clarified the levy would be a fixed-dollar permanent override rather than an amount that grows automatically with rising property values; BCRD officials confirmed the request is for a fixed levy with an option to apply the statutory 3% increase in future years. Trustees also asked whether the levy revenue would be used for both operations and capital projects; the presenter said the levy would cover operating costs and capital expenditures and that BCRD intends a community-led priority-setting process to phase projects over time.

The BCRD presentation listed potential priorities such as additional indoor facilities, improved trails, and maintenance of existing assets that the district currently operates, including the Galena Lodge and Quigley Trails Park. Presenters said the current funding mix is roughly in the range of 35–43% levy revenue, about 30–38% earned revenue and roughly 19% donations/other in recent budgets, and that the levy would shore up long‑term capacity to respond to community needs.

Trustees urged the BCRD to continue community outreach and to clarify the ballot language and the long‑term plan for any large projects the levy might seed. The BCRD said it is working with consultants on communications, has run community surveys, and will form a citizen advisory committee to recommend priorities if the levy passes.

Ending: The board received the presentation and asked staff to continue coordinating where recreation programming overlaps district facilities; no board action was taken at this meeting.