Post by Morris Hallowell on Apr 20, 2024 14:04:28 GMT -7
On April 16th the Park County commissioners voted to accept the proposed schedule presented by the planner for the writing, reviewing, and adoption of new subdivision regulations. This is something we all need to pay attention to.
When a county has a growth policy, it allows the county to update their subdivision regulations beyond state minimums. This will result in regulations that increase the cost of housing and regulations that could potentially take public comment out of our subdivision review. Two dreadful things. It is imperative that people take this re-write seriously and it is imperative that everyone realizes the potential fall-out of how having a growth policy can empower local government.
While special interests painted one commissioner in a poor light for holding off on a growth policy vote, he actually had the most thoughtful comment of them all. I paraphrase—In June the people of the county will get their first chance to participate in the growth policy.
A historic moment indeed. We must not waste it. We must get out and vote.
No grants with no growth policy is a myth.
No, it is not true that only counties with growth policies can apply for federal grants. I have spoken with the finance department in Ravalli County where they voted to repeal their growth policy 16 years ago and they get federal and state grants regularly. The truth has been distorted with that claim. It is true that some grant applications (20% I think the grant lady said) ask as one of many questions on their application form if a county has a "growth policy." There is no way to determine if a grant is awarded or refused due to having a growth policy or not. That is simply conjecture.
In all the talk of county debt and grant funding, little is mentioned of the several extraordinary natural disasters, flooding of the Yellowstone River one year and flooding of the Shields River next. The forced march of covid regulations followed by freshly printed dollars galore. All of these exceptional events brought an unusually high amount of federal dollars into the county. This high number is not business as usual and serves only to hype the special-interest arguments.
Our commission’s appetite for spending has gone unabated. Perhaps now that one of our commissioners has recently exclaimed that he has just realized the county is spending more than it’s taking in, things will return to more realistic proportions. (Elections are important.).
The fact that our county commissioners have chosen to provide services to us by what grants they can obtain instead of the services we actually need is due to the county commissioners lack of foresight and future budgeting for the services we need most. It is always easier to spend other peoples' money instead of living within your means.
The more money the federal government prints to hand out to us as "favors/grants" the less your dollars are worth, the higher inflation, and the more your eggs cost at the market. Cause and effect. We bring it down on our own heads when we don't live within our means.
Another myth making the rounds on Facebook is that Ravalli County’s repeal of its growth policy has been to its detriment. Hardly the case. After repealing its growth policy in 2008 they doubled down and voted 2 years later to adopt county-imitated zoning only by citizen vote. After 16 years they still embrace citizen-initiated zoning --- not county-initiated zoning. They have 41 citizen-initiated zones. The citizens there are doing government their way not the bureaucrats way. A good example for us.
And last, but not least, be aware that the special interests have started their Re-education programs on county residents. These come in the form of “coffee” invitations in your neighborhood where re-education on repeal of the growth policy is on the menu. Don’t be bullied. Your voice your vote.
I am so sorry these groups have accessed your names from the signature lists. I had no idea this information was allowed to be made public by the state, and never dreamed special interests would abuse privacy to target us like this. They are word-bullying us. We must stand firm to our principles and vote June 4th.
Best wishes,
Ann Hallowell
When a county has a growth policy, it allows the county to update their subdivision regulations beyond state minimums. This will result in regulations that increase the cost of housing and regulations that could potentially take public comment out of our subdivision review. Two dreadful things. It is imperative that people take this re-write seriously and it is imperative that everyone realizes the potential fall-out of how having a growth policy can empower local government.
While special interests painted one commissioner in a poor light for holding off on a growth policy vote, he actually had the most thoughtful comment of them all. I paraphrase—In June the people of the county will get their first chance to participate in the growth policy.
A historic moment indeed. We must not waste it. We must get out and vote.
No grants with no growth policy is a myth.
No, it is not true that only counties with growth policies can apply for federal grants. I have spoken with the finance department in Ravalli County where they voted to repeal their growth policy 16 years ago and they get federal and state grants regularly. The truth has been distorted with that claim. It is true that some grant applications (20% I think the grant lady said) ask as one of many questions on their application form if a county has a "growth policy." There is no way to determine if a grant is awarded or refused due to having a growth policy or not. That is simply conjecture.
In all the talk of county debt and grant funding, little is mentioned of the several extraordinary natural disasters, flooding of the Yellowstone River one year and flooding of the Shields River next. The forced march of covid regulations followed by freshly printed dollars galore. All of these exceptional events brought an unusually high amount of federal dollars into the county. This high number is not business as usual and serves only to hype the special-interest arguments.
Our commission’s appetite for spending has gone unabated. Perhaps now that one of our commissioners has recently exclaimed that he has just realized the county is spending more than it’s taking in, things will return to more realistic proportions. (Elections are important.).
The fact that our county commissioners have chosen to provide services to us by what grants they can obtain instead of the services we actually need is due to the county commissioners lack of foresight and future budgeting for the services we need most. It is always easier to spend other peoples' money instead of living within your means.
The more money the federal government prints to hand out to us as "favors/grants" the less your dollars are worth, the higher inflation, and the more your eggs cost at the market. Cause and effect. We bring it down on our own heads when we don't live within our means.
Another myth making the rounds on Facebook is that Ravalli County’s repeal of its growth policy has been to its detriment. Hardly the case. After repealing its growth policy in 2008 they doubled down and voted 2 years later to adopt county-imitated zoning only by citizen vote. After 16 years they still embrace citizen-initiated zoning --- not county-initiated zoning. They have 41 citizen-initiated zones. The citizens there are doing government their way not the bureaucrats way. A good example for us.
And last, but not least, be aware that the special interests have started their Re-education programs on county residents. These come in the form of “coffee” invitations in your neighborhood where re-education on repeal of the growth policy is on the menu. Don’t be bullied. Your voice your vote.
I am so sorry these groups have accessed your names from the signature lists. I had no idea this information was allowed to be made public by the state, and never dreamed special interests would abuse privacy to target us like this. They are word-bullying us. We must stand firm to our principles and vote June 4th.
Best wishes,
Ann Hallowell