City Government
Cities Ask Ada To Drop Courtroom Lawsuit
January 4, 2011 
The mayors of Boise, Meridian, and Garden City issued a media release Monday asking Ada County to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the cities last month.
Link to LAWSUIT POST.
The cities claim the lawsuit, filed by the Ada County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 21, 2010, seeks to tax residents of the three cities twice for the same services that residents of Eagle, Star, Kuna and unincorporated Ada County receive without additional payment…those cities misdemeanor cases are prosecuted by the county and police services are provided by the Ada Sheriff–both are contract deals. In fact, Boise City sells its legal department services to Meridian and its police to BSU to prosecute misdemeanor traffic and criminal cases
The GUARDIAN predicts Eagle, Star, and Kuna will eventually pony up their share of running the magistrate court. The upshot of this media blitz by the cities could well be to include those municipalities currently not paying rather than getting out of paying the debts they apparently owe.
The following joint statement was issued by Boise Mayor David H. Bieter, Garden City Mayor John Evans, and Meridian Mayor Tammy de Weerd. It is part of the ongoing feud between local governments which have been ordered to provide magistrate court services. Both Boise and Ada County politicos have published op-ed pieces in the Statesman.
“We are disappointed that Ada County has chosen to sue 75% of its own taxpayers rather than respond to repeated requests to meet and negotiate a solution that is fair and equitable to all residents.
“The taxpayers of Ada County voted in 1996 to build a consolidated court facility that opened in 2002. Residents of Boise, Meridian, and Garden City already pay for this consolidated court facility through the annual taxes they pay to the county. (Editor note: Boise agreed to provide pay for court space when the court vacated the law enforcement building on Barrister. The Idaho Supreme court has ruled they owe the money to Ada County)
“We cannot in good faith ask our taxpayers to accept a new tax that seems intended mainly to help Ada County resolve its budget difficulties. This lawsuit is itself a waste of taxpayer money, and we believe that Ada County owes an explanation as to why Boise, Meridian, and Garden City residents are not entitled to the same court services as other residents without paying more.”
The fun part of this political finance dance will come when Vern Bisterfeldt changes seats from City Councilor to County Commish. He will transition from the “SUEE to the SUER.”
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jan 4, 2011, 3:27 pm
My property tax bill shows that I pay taxes to both Ada County and Boise City. I guess the Mayors (of Boise, Garden City, & Meridian) are claiming that my property taxes paid to Ada County already include my share of court costs?
What, then, is Ada County’s claim for more money based on?
EDITOR NOTE–The claim is based on the legal order of both the 4th District Copurt and the Supreme Court of Idaho. See the latest post above.
Jan 4, 2011, 5:43 pm
Legalize marajuana and tax it. More money and less people clogging the courts.
Jan 4, 2011, 8:57 pm
Of course they are asking the county to drop the lawsuit!! They know full well that all the judge will say this time is, “just what part of pay the county did you not understand?”
Jan 5, 2011, 1:33 pm
No new taxes – just legalize it.