Sugar City, Idaho: The Dayley Report

I've had a few questions about the proposed recreational (taxing) district for Madison County and the recreation center that would be built in Rexburg with the tax money. Here's my take on this proposal. The short version: I'm against it. A bit longer version is below.  Recreational Tax District & Recreation Center Madison County doesn't need a new taxing district for this.  I'm a proponent of city and county open spaces and parks. Often government entities are in a good position to acquire, manage, and maintain parks that all the public can enjoy. However, I don't think government entities should use tax payer money for things such as recreation centers. Recreational facilities don't seem to rise to the level of community necessity that would require forced taxpayer subsidies, unlike, say, a library or cemetery taxing district, which I generally support. We have private owners who operate event centers, gyms, rock wall climbing facilities, and other he...

  Christmas 2022 We wrapped up 2022 with a wonderful Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Heritage park and a visit from the big guy (not Mayor Adams!) at the "North Pole." Mrs. Sheri Vail had the school kids singing well and loud as usual to celebrate the evening. It's a fun way for the community to welcome winter and celebrate Christmas and the coming new year. 2022 Looking Back Thinking back on 2022 helps us prepare for issue and events we'll face in 2023. There will always be the day-to-day large and small issues of running a city. And some of the things that come to mind from 2022 include kennel license revisions, parking restrictions updates, neighborhood watch program, the Tree and Beautification Memorial Garden Project, final city dumpster and city-wide clean-up projects, Sugar Days, Easter Egg Hunt, Independence Day parade in Rexburg, impact area expansion, annexation of significant areas, water mitigation agreements, Joyce Cromar and Dave Thompson receiving c...

  Treats in the Streets What a great street party we had on October 20th! I hope everyone got a chance to enjoy the goodies, music, costumes, bounce houses, rock climbing wall, military display, cheerleader performances, crafts and food vendors, and the gorgeous weather that day! Tamara and I had fun working the little carnival game in front of city hall. A big thanks to the city staff who helped make it all happen! Next time you stop by city hall, let Wendy, Shelley, and Erieka know they did a great job (Arlynn and his public works crew too). Fall Clean-Up This year's city-wide fall clean-up is complete. The city is not planning for one next year, and we didn't budget for it. Even with the added fee on utility bills this past year, we didn't have enough to cover the clean-up or the dumpster in the city yard. Of course, things can always change, but for now, it looks like the general city-wide, clean-up events are done. We hope that neighbors will continue to help neighbors...

  Dark Sky Ordinance Not long ago the city council passed a revised dark sky ordinance. We'd like to keep the light pollution to a minimum in the city so we can enjoy the night skies of our beautiful corner of Idaho. If you've seen the great new high school soccer facility at the new junior high at night, you've seen what lights that follow such a dark sky policy can look like. The lights light up the pitch perfectly, but leave the surrounding areas enjoyably dark. It's fantastic! I took the photo above, looking west from over by the old sugar factory. If my camera were better, you would be able to see stars above the lights in the night sky as I could. Fall Clean-Up Day Fall clean-up day is Monday, October 17th. Items can be put out for pick up one week in advance. Please contact city hall for more information. Treats in the Streets Thursday, October 20th from 4-7pm will be the city "Treats in the Street" celebration. Center Street will be closed and business...