City Government
Airport Prefers To Fly Below Radar
August 10, 2006 
Boise Airport officialdom continues to distrust the citizens and is quietly working on plans to go around the voters to finance a parking garage.
In April the Idaho Supreme Court declared the Boise Airport attempt to obtain financing without a vote of the citizens to be unconstitutional and NOT an “ordinary and necessary” expense. GUARDIAN editor David R. Frazier filed the suit and has gone on record as a strong proponent of allowing the citizens the right to determine how public money is spent for long term debt.
In a current Boise Weekly interview, airport manager John Anderson said a committee is working on financing plans despite a meeting of the city council and airport commishes several months ago where they declared a bond election seemed the most viable financing alternative.
Anderson said in the interview it would be difficult to educate “Joe Taxpayer” and a campaign for a bond election would be costly. He noted it would not be the airport raising the campaign funds.
The GUARDIAN has already provided “educational information” to the city council. City Council, lawyers, and airport officials proved to be poor students. they would make even poorer “teachers.”
Only the justices of the Idaho Supreme Court understood the constitution and laws of Idaho. The Supremes get an “A” . Meanwhile the city continues to fight the truth.
Boise City often refers to the airport as a “regional facility” but ironically there is little sentiment to relinquish management control to folks from Ontario, Kuna, or Nampa to form a truly regional airport.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Aug 11, 2006, 12:12 am
The Airport’s advisory board does indeed have members from around the “region.” One example would be Dr. Hagood from NNU.
EDITOR NOTE–True true. Airport is an advisory board. Anderson was talking about a lack of political concensus to give up BOISE control. Hagood was a Cole’s appointment and it was illegal because city code required all members of all boards to be citizens of the city they advise. Coles got the law changed when he got caught..did same for parks and that one has been revised yet again.
Aug 11, 2006, 1:41 am
Seems whoever was planning to buy the tar and feathers for the ACHD officials needs to get a little extra for the airport brass, too.
Aug 11, 2006, 9:04 am
That was me, but now I’m thinking there just isn’t enough t & f to do the job. The list of those deserving the t & f treatment is growing exponentially.
Seriously, have the airport managers done some kind of study demonstrating the need for a new garage? Seems to me that parking is only a problem there during the holiday season.
Aug 11, 2006, 10:40 am
Here is the Boise Weekly Article:
How are things going with the airport garage? I hear employees are now parking somewhere else to make more space?
“We’re trying to create more space that the public can use. That will help a little bit.”
“Essentially we need to be able to borrow money in order to build a garage. We have a committee working on that to figure out how to proceed. Hopefully we’ll have recommendations to City Council in September.”
Where is the part about the “finance committee” that is going behind the backs of the Council and Commissioners?
Aug 11, 2006, 11:12 am
I can’t find any reference to the words “regional facility” on the City of Boise web site. I also serached the Statesman archives back to 1999, and the words “Regional Facility” do not appear next to each other in any article. Maybe a speech exists out there where some Council member or Mayor used this phrase, but I can’t find it. You should post it if you have it.
EDITOR NOTE–Solo, relax and take a deep breath. I had a city councilor tell me YESTERDAY the airport was a “regional facility.” Also you need to read the GUARDIAN more carefully. YOU are the one talking about a “finance committee.” YOU talked about going around the council. The GUARDIAN talked about going around the voters. Talk to John Anderson or the Weekly and they will tell you the GUARDIAN story is indeed accurate–slanted–but accurate.
Aug 11, 2006, 11:13 am
Talk about flying under the radar…What DID the forensic audit show about the aiport?
Well, I am sure that is just water under the bridge.
What is the deal with everyone wanting to cut corners at that city anyhow? Is it part of the oath of office? Is it a special form they sign????
As a “Joe Taxpayer” that can read, I would like the Airport folks to show us the documents so we can see for ourselves.
Geeeeeeez, what an arogant *&%$#@*!!!
Aug 11, 2006, 12:45 pm
Big Bad John is notorious for being demeaning, effusive, and arrogant. His ego is bigger than the neon wings on the current garage. If he didn’t have Gary Fraize running the operation, he would have completely alienated everyone by now. I think when “enterprise” operations are in the mix (ie Public Works, Airport) there is a significant amount of looking the other way (and coughing).
Aug 14, 2006, 8:39 am
Han,
Time to slow down the olde Falcon and head back to the Statesman galaxy. That would be the foggy one behind you. The one that seems to be in disarray.
As you get closer to that muddled galaxy, have Chewie fire up the TRS-80 and do another search of the Statesman for you. This time have him try “airport” or “regional airport.” He should find at least three articles – April 28th, May 2nd, and May 4th.
If I recall correctly the April 28th article referred to a regional airport or similar terminology. Also in that article one of the Airport Board members talked about a joint powers agreement and a regional airport.
Both the Guardian and the Statesman have reported about a “regional” airport based on discussions with either elected local government officials and or folks appointed by them to various committees or commissions. The exact words regional airport or regional facility may not have been used, but the concept has been discussed and reported on.
For my money, the Guardian is light-years more accurate than the folks out on Curtis Road.
JQP
Aug 16, 2006, 10:00 pm
Use Care with the airport. Many larger cities have a Airport Authority. Just another taxing power to take from you even more money. In the Minneapolis/St.Paul metro area the Airport Authority is not even under the control of the state. They are out of control and have been giving massive amounts of tax breaks to Northwest Airlines at the expense of everyone else. WARNING!!! Keep the Airport under city control or get bent over.