East Idaho Elects: Teton County Election Debate - Mark Ricks, Bob Heneage - East Idaho News
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East Idaho Elects: Teton County Election Debate – Mark Ricks, Bob Heneage

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EDITOR’S NOTE:This is the second of our videos from our recent 2016 Teton County General Election Debate. This video features Republican candidate, Mark Ricks and Democratic candidate Bob Heneage.

A big thank you to the Teton Valley News and Managing Editor Scott Stuntz for partnering with EastIdahoNews.com on this debate.

This video was first published in the Teton Valley News. It is used here as part of a joint project with the Teton Valley News.

DRIGGS — For the district three seat formerly held by commissioner Kelly Park, the Republican candidate, Mark Ricks, debated the Democratic candidate, Bob Heneage.

The seat has a two-year term.

Although the two live in the same general vicinity and have both been in the county for decades, they confessed to never having met in person.

“I think I would like you,” Heneage said to Ricks.

The two had policies they wished to focus on.

One key area of difference was the new development code.

“I think the draft land code is the way we have to go,” said Heneage. “With public input we will get this thing where we need to.”

Heneage pointed to his experience living in the valley of previous building booms and busts as the main reason to get the new code passed.

“We need to get development under some modicum of control here. Everybody wants to see growth, but we want to see good growth, not wild growth,” he said, later adding. “We have a new comprehensive plan. I’m told it’s an award winning document. Let’s see it through this time. We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to our kids.”

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Ricks saw this point differently.

“I think our challenge is to grow the economy. Our task is to not put up road blocks. One of the ways we do that is with a sensible code that doesn’t restrict,” said Ricks. “As I go through that code… In all the rural areas I see ‘not allowed’ more than it should be, in my opinion.”

Ricks explained earlier in the debate why he thought road blocks were not helpful.

“We need to be very, very careful about putting road blocks up… that stifles ingenuity, which has been the builder of this nation and this county… In this county specifically we play a major role in the potato industry in the whole United States and that needs to be protected. It’s regulated plenty right now, because we deal with the USDA … and all the other government agencies that regulate and further regulation from this county isn’t helpful.”

When asked about what they would have done differently, Ricks immediately pointed out the solid waste fee structure.

“Under the ruling that [Leake] proposed my farm… there was a bare parcel of ground I had one parcel that the tax bill was 6$ and it went to $66,” he said. “I thought that wasn’t right. We had hearings and that didn’t change—We sued the county. The summary judgment said we were correct in the assumption that the county couldn’t charge the way we did.”

Ricks also pointed out the Bates River access project, a partnership with valley non-profits to purchase a large tract of land to build a new parking lot and boat ramp.

“I don’t agree with the way the Bates Bridge was funded,” he added. “Using tax payer dollars that way when we are 48 million dollars behind in our deferred road maintenance system makes no sense to me.”

Heneage disagreed on this point.

“I think that was one of the most brilliant projects that the commissioners have come up with in the last year or two,” he said.

Heneage also defended the logic of the solid waste fee structure.

“Every parcel should pay something. Not necessarily the same amount but there should be something,” he said. “I think over time the commissioners have come to a much better position.”

Heneage focused on getting the county past boom and bust cycles.

“I believe we need to diversify the economic base of the valley. I’ve lived here 26 years and every thing has been about house building,” he said. “If we can diversify, that would be a good thing and it’s a very doable thing.”

Ricks, for his part, focused on the lessons he had learned from growing up in the valley.

“I teach personal responsibility,” he said. “To proceed in a manner that has more community buy in… Our [agricultural] sector is probably the most stable that we have, but it has challenges, because we are farming at 6200 feet… but there’s other things we can grow and those are important.”

This article was originally published in the Teton Valley News. It is used here with permission.

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