Whitefish faces important vote

Ballots are going into the mail today destined for Whitefish voters.

Some people might consider it just another off-year municipal election, but in Whitefish it's anything but an ordinary exercise in democracy.

It's not just the unusual nature of the mail-in election (remember to get your ballots back by Nov. 6) but also the impressive number of candidates and the issues at hand.

That level of participation clearly reveals the depth of interest in the future of Whitefish: seven hopefuls for three City Council seats and three candidates for mayor.

Those chosen by the electorate will share in the monumental tasks of determining which way Whitefish should proceed and how it responds to a torrent of growth-related pressures.

The proposed critical areas ordinance (or, how much control will the city assert over areas with sensitive drainage) has drawn the most heat lately, but it's not the only fiery issue facing Whitefish government.

Whitefish's elected representatives also are facing decisions on how high downtown Whitefish will grow, how many millions of dollars Whitefish will spend to upgrade city facilities, how to deal with the twin challenges of traffic gridlock and scarce parking, how tightly to regulate development just outside city limits, and how to implement a long-awaited growth policy.

That's just a partial list.

In effect, the City Council is tasked with preserving the soul of the city while pleasing a host of conflicting interests. That assuredly is not a job for the faint-hearted.

Is this election important? For a resort town that has grown 53 percent since 2000, it is very important. Consider these factors carefully when choosing the next lineup of city leaders.

The voters of Whitefish recently finished another election, too. Last week, they rejected a general obligation bond of $3.19 million to cover the purchase of a half-acre lot adjacent to the west end of City Beach.

We understand why the voters were hesitant. It was a lot of money for a little bit of land, and could have cost the owner of a $300,000 home about $86 a year for 20 years.

Still, this kind of deal only comes around once in a while. City Beach is one of the most popular attractions in Whitefish, and on a summer day it can be packed with swimmers, sun lovers and a host of children. It would seem to make sense for the growing community to add the parcel to the public beach now while it is easily available.

To that end, therefore, we hope the civic leaders of Whitefish will take up the challenge and find an alternative funding mechanism that will allow the purchase to go through. There is no shortage of philanthropy in Whitefish, and this is such a promising opportunity that it would be a shame to see it fall through.