City Government
Mapp Gone–Almost
January 4, 2006 
While we are not as exercised as a GUARDIAN reader about former city councilor Jerome Mapp remaining on the board of the urban renewal agency (CCDC), we fail to understand why only council members are appointed to a pair of seats, but they keep their CCDC positions after being voted out of office.
Former Councilor Paula Forney remained on the board of the powerful taxpayer funded Capital City Development Corp. for two years after she lost a runoff election to Councilor David Eberle who only recently was appointed to the board. She said she was appointed as a citizen–not as a councilor.
We posed the issue to city councilors and at the moment no one has an answer to the question of whether or not there should be two city councilors on the CCDC board. The agency has a board of unelected members who have authority to spend millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars without citizen-taxpayer scrutiny.
The mayor and council appoint all of the members to the board and two seats have always been held by incumbent (elected) councilors. Certainly, whenever there is a vacancy to be filled due to departure of a councilor, it is NEVER filled by a mere citizen.
Without regard to Mapp’s ability or devotion to duty, we feel he should leave ALL city positions–even the unpaid CCDC post once he leaves the council. After all, he was appointed BECAUSE he was a councilor, it is only right that he be replaced by a councilor. We feel CCDC NEEDS representation of elected officials who answer to the voters.
The weak explanation we have heard is that CCDC is “different” than the airport, parks, or public works commissions which all have councilors assigned as liaison duties. In researching the Idaho Code, the GUARDIAN has found the law provides for the city council to DISBAND the urban renewal agency board and have the council perform those duties with the simple passage of an ordinance.
We feel this would be more honest than hiding behind another level of bureaucracy and dividing the public ownership of our town between CCDC, Boise City, and Ada County Highway District.
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jan 5, 2006, 9:51 am
Mapp will take any gravy and/or influential position anywhere that will serve his purpose to be able to control millions of taxpayer (city, county, state and federal) dollars. The board of the urban renewal agency (CCDC) is only one. Same as Forney. There are special citizens (elitists) and then there are the rest of us.
What is the correlation between taxpayer dollars and voter dollars?
If the city council had any guts they would DISBAND the urban renewal agency board and have the council perform those duties with the simple passage of an ordinance. But they don’t so they won’t.
I think that the CCDC, Boise City, and Ada County Highway District are 3 of a kind. We citizens, voters and taxpayers need to kick them out of the game with a full house because all 3 receive federal funds. Get the feds to investigate all 3.
Jan 5, 2006, 5:24 pm
The CCDC is nothing more than an extension of the City Council and serves as another method for them to spend money and broker power that extends their “kingdom”.
At the very least there should be no more than one City Council person on the CCDC board at one time and they should serve no more than one year. Once they leave office they are off the CCDC.
If the Mayor is as concerned about “ethics” as he says he is he would ask for Mapps’ resignation asap. And then modify the CCDC board rules.
I have $100 that says he is too chicken to even bring it up.
It is like letting convicts guard the prison.