City Government
Boise City Spending Budget To Increase
August 4, 2009 
The budget for Boise City is a work in progress, but the GUARDIAN is getting calls from insiders and concerned citizens telling us the new budget is headed north.
Apparently the pencil pushers are confident the revenues are in place, to fund an increase in spending, despite lower property values. We hear that while other local governments are cutting back, Boise is forging ahead with plans to spend up to the maximum 3% budget increase allowed on the property tax portion allowed by state law.
We are told property taxes account for about 60% of the budget with the remainder coming from state and federal revenues, stimulus funds, and “grants.” It looks like the operating budget will easily top $165,000,000. This is one the GUARDIAN could use an assist on. We would welcome some insight from any experts willing to offer a concise explanation.
The public hearing is set for 6p.m. On August 18…little chance of a citizen influencing any changes.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Aug 4, 2009, 12:48 pm
The only time city councils pay any attention to pubic meetings is when the public scares those councilors…not likely unless they show up with torches and pitchforks.
Remember, these folk already are running a tax scam. They discount all the ‘distressed and mortgage default sales’ in the area and overvalue the remaining home values…and then pretend their imaginary market value for tax purposes is a real value of the home…
Aug 4, 2009, 2:25 pm
Is there a on line link to the proposed new budget????
Aug 4, 2009, 2:42 pm
LOL!!!! You can’t make this stuff up. Here people are going to bed hungry and in total fear of the date their unemployment insurance runs out. People are losing jobs and homes at record levels and these elitist parasites want to jack up the cost of government. This is beyond criminal and this clearly shows that these people are not part of the citizen body that does productive work. They see the world as US vs Them. They see our hard earned money as free game to steal from us if they can put together the right scam to do it.
If the folks of Boise have any brains whatsoever they will vote out everyone of these elitist parasites in city government next election.
Aug 4, 2009, 4:18 pm
Does anyone know if Bieter or any of the “fab 4” on the council plays the fiddle? Because if they do, Boise (Rome) is about to be torched! Watcher is right! You just can’t make this stuff up! WOW!!
Aug 5, 2009, 1:32 pm
It is no surprise that Boise City is spending money like a drunkin sailor on a cheap whore. I heard Ms Jordan on the KBOI show this morning (Aug. 5) Seems the Bieter Bunch is more concerned about community centers than the 12 slots sitll not filled on the Boise Police Dept. sigh
Aug 5, 2009, 1:59 pm
If you vote them out will we just be voting in more idiots? It sure appears that in order to run and get elected one cannot be honest, but has to be in the back pocket of many, many people and willing to shaft the taxpaying public. But, this is not the “information” you requested.
I just heard that the federal income (from taxes) were the lowest since the Great Depression. Is this because the rich don’t pay their fair share, nor do businesses and many businesses have taken their work out of the country? Well, it appears that no one is asking who used to pay their fare share of taxes back then. Today the working class is just not able to do it all anymore. And it appears that no one in the government (local as well as federal) is able to see that and act upon it.
Aug 5, 2009, 3:58 pm
We may be at the point that a simple lottery for office might be an answer..Didn’t Bill Buckley once say “I’d rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory
than to the faculty of Harvard University.”…this is similar. Anyone that wants the job is unqualified to hold it.
Aug 5, 2009, 8:12 pm
Don’t bet on idiots replacing them because there are going to be decent hard working business folks that are willing to suffer loss income from their businesses to serve the people. I know of three folks that are going to come out and register with the Security of State early this fall.
So folks keep your eyes open for some folks who have never worked in government and have never held elected office but are very successful at running honest businesses. In fact they will be up front that they are going to serve max two terms and will look for someone who wants to do the same to replace them. So if the Statesmen attacks some new blood in whatever way that they can. That is the person you need to vote for. If you don’t than you deserve the kind of government you get.
Aug 5, 2009, 11:42 pm
It is time to forge a new tactic. I am running for Boise City Council. I am wanting to go there for two main reasons. 1) To serve the communty. 2) To cut spending. I am very good at leveraging assets to get the best bang for the buck. It is time for the citizens to put their vote where their mouth is. I do not have an endless supply of money to run a campaign. I will expect paricipation after I am elected because it will be time for some one else to fill the seat after I do my service time. By participating, you will be training to get ready to step up next. I wrote legislation to tie the growth of the state budget to the growth of the economy, BY PERCENTAGE. That has been my business philosophy and it will be the philosophy I will take to the council. You need to help me by electing Lucas Baumbach to help me. Then you will have to help us get the public message to the Mayor and councilmen who act dismissive of public testimony. Now is the time. Invite us to your neighborhood, ask us questions, tell us what you need, we won’t be dismissive, we will be ready to serve.
Aug 6, 2009, 1:57 pm
A small increase in the size of the city budget isn’t reason enough for me to want to replace the current mayor and city council.
The fact that they are in league with the developer class and the fact that they want to spend zillions of dollars on very un-necessary light rail and trolley systems – now that is reason enough.
But, electing anti-government, pro-business, pro-growth, anti-environment, militia-like extremists will only create bigger problems. We need elected officials at all levels of government that are in tune with the middle class, but of course, I’m not going to hold my breath.
Aug 6, 2009, 9:43 pm
I hate to say this but if you show up they don’t care and don’t listen. This group never has and and never will. The only way you can make a differnce is remove the mayor and 5 of 6 councilors.
Aug 6, 2009, 9:46 pm
What we need are people that have a certain level of logic, a modicum of intelligence, and a load of common sense. If we can find this, our city will be immeasurably better. Because it would be the exact opposite of what we now have.
Aug 6, 2009, 11:06 pm
I support the trolley downtown 100 percent. It’s the closest I can get to riding the Lombard Street cable car in San Francisco on my budget. The bells will be clanging, the whistle tooting. “All aboard.” What a delight it will be.
Aug 6, 2009, 11:26 pm
I know Dan Dunham and my memory tells me he is a good guy. Go for it Dan.
Aug 7, 2009, 6:21 pm
Guardian, I almost get the feeling that you had somehow expected to see some logical correlation of anticipated income and proposed spending.
Nawwww. I know you’re not that naive. 🙂
Aug 8, 2009, 1:07 am
Anticipated income and proposed spending? My thouhts are to keep spending less than anticipated income, then look for tax cuts and relief for the taxpayer. By leveraging assets, consolidating services, increasing productivity, it is almost too easy to accomplish this.
Aug 9, 2009, 12:02 am
The Budget increase should come as no surprise. The Bieter bunch does not hesitate to secure unconstitutional forms of funding, why wouldn’t they take the maximum provided by law? (even in opposition to the public welfare)
In response to a comment about electing environment-hating corporate big wigs: Those that believe that the liberal club is protecting the environment and not in the pocket of big business should look again. 1) Camelback is eroding in half (aka environmental disaster on Maryanne Jordan’s watch 2) Without the big box store favoring shenanigans of the Bieter bunch this blog would not exist. Most or all of the candidates I know on the conservative side of this race are all small business types. Can we leave the stale stereotypes out of this race?