Comments on: Boise Taxpayer Challenges City Budget

By: M. Minicucci

M. Minicucci — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:17:06 +0000

I encourage all interested residents to attend the City public budget hearings on August 14, 2007. This is your opportunity to ask questions and comment on the City’s proposed budget. The most effective comments address specific budget items: for instance my question is the item in the budget that calls for the taxpayer to pay for street lights on the new Boise River bridge so that they match the street lights in Harris Ranch. I also question why the City pays the utilities’ ACHD fees because the franchise agreements between the City and the utilities allow for those payments. This isn’t really a budget question, since the negotiations for franchise agreements are a seperate process, but it does not seem to serve the taxpayer to give a utility a monopoly on services, then help it with its business expenses.
I hope everyone had the chance to listen/watch to the webcast of the budget hearings. It was a great opportunity to understand some of the nuts and bolts of developoing a municipal budget. There are certainly plenty of questions that can be asked about this budget, and I encourage everyone to bring their specific concerns to the attention of the Mayor and Council on August 14th.

By: CYCLOPS

CYCLOPS — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 01:27:30 +0000

So, if I understand correctly, Mr. Payne would rather pay someone to watch over someone we have elected?? Sounds to me that we would be better off if we actually used the voting booth. I believe that we will choose our next mayor and three members of the city council on less than 40,000 votes. If we would all just remember when these folks screw around with our money and then hold them accountable, the problem would be solved.

By: Bob Blurton

Bob Blurton — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:05:48 +0000

Skyrocketing taxes are a result of oil prices rising. As they continue to rise, cities with brain-dead, clueless, corporate puppet mayors like Bieter will continue to try and operate like nothing has changed.

Austin Texas is the latest in a long line of US and world cities that have declared ‘Peak Oil’ to be an urgent emergency. The cheap energy party is coming to a close, but relatively few in America know about it. This is because our information comes from a corporate owned and operated media that knows the risk of this knowledge in a ‘happy consumer wonderland’. If folks knew very bad times were right around the corner, they would start buying gold and hoarding food, money, gasoline and bullets. …Goodby economy.

The future won’t be about ‘how do we keep our cars running’, it will be about finding enough food to keep from starving to death.

As for the whitewater park, they pay for themselves in two years and keep on paying the local economy. Of course, that is in the old, car driven, luxury economy that is about to go away forever.

By: Colleen Fellows

Colleen Fellows — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:57:48 +0000

Concerns regarding property taxes are best directed toward the Ada County Assessor’s office, not the Boise City Mayor’s office. Yes, mine went up as well, but so did general values associated with lot valuation. Unfortunately, from what I can tell, it is not out of step with what lots are selling for these days in my community. Mr. Rogers is suggesting that if new programs or new city amenities are developed with said tax dollars, the taxpayers should be the ones that give the thumbs up or down. This May, voters in Ada and Canyon Counties did just that in the community college vote, and yes, yours and my property taxes are reflecting said vote. And admittedly, I voted in favor of the hike.

Mr. Rogers also asks that taxes not be levied on existing residents, to pay for new growth. I whole-heartedly agree. Growth should pay for itself, especially when it is not contiguous with existing development. That being said, I would hope that Mr. Rogers voices his discontent with The Cliffs development slated for Hammer Flats in eastern Ada County. With current development access plans, two possible entrance points are considered, both of which would place the bulk of the exorbitant construction cost directly on the shoulders of the Ada County taxpayer.

While I agree that citizens should be intently involved in their government, to suggest as Mr. Payne does, that we should litigate the city into compliance overlooks several very important things. Litigation ties up both time and money necessary for program operation and project implementation in a timely fashion, adds to the overall cost of operation, and in the end costs taxpayers, ie. you and me, more while slowing the services we need. Too many people these days are far too happy to jump on the litigation bandwagon.

EDITOR NOTE–Not to take the floor for Mr. Payne, but I think his message is, “They won’t listen to us at public hearings or calls to the Mayor’s hotline so maybe they will listen to a court order….your arguments against litigation are very sound none the less.

By: Lew Payne

Lew Payne — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:34:06 +0000

What we need is a group of citizens to form and fund an independent “watchdog organization.” Said group would monitor the city’s every move with respect to budgets, funding, expenditures and general cash flow. Whenever discrepancies such as the ones you spoke of occur, the group would complain (via certified mail) and attempt to solicit a written response from the city.

If the response is either inadequate or lacking, the group would file suit. I, for one, would be willing to donate a sizable amount of cash toward the funding of said group. In summary, the group would basically litigate the city into compliance.