City Government
Local Option Tax Hike Bill Likely In Legislature
January 8, 2012 
A bill to bump up the sales tax by 1%–with voter approval–will probably surface in the coming legislative session.
Ironic that local politicos and Chambers of Commerce favor allowing voters to approve a sales tax hike when last year they almost uniformly opposed allowing citizens to vote on long term public debt at airports and public hospitals.
The so-called “local option sales tax” is already allowed in resort towns under 10,000 population–such as McCall, Donnelly and Ketchum. The latest move is to allow the tax hike in cities of ANY size. Previously, the big issue has been the percentage of votes needed to hike the sales tax. Cities were after a simple majority to institute the tax and the legislative leaders wanted a 2/3 majority.
Here’s a thought:
Since the Idaho recall law requires 20% of REGISTERED VOTERS to sign a petition just to get a politico whom they want out of office on the ballot, why not use the same threshold for a vote on local option taxes–approval of 20% of registered voters? Good for the goose is good for the gander.
Congress currently has an approval rating of a mere 11-15% of citizens and with campaign donation laws so loose that businesses can donate massive amounts to candidates, incumbents are nearly “bulletproof.”
Local politicos run mostly unopposed, or with only token opposition–they claim it is due to voter satisfaction. The GUARDIAN suspects people are simply beaten down and apathetic. The rise of the Tea Party on the right and the Occupiers on the left attest to dissatisfaction at all levels of government.
Years ago when the legislature changed the recall petition law from “20% of those voting in the last election” to “20% of registered voters,” they made it nearly impossible to remove the bad guys. Perhaps tax hikes should be just as difficult. The recent Boise City election had a turnout well under 20% of registered voters.
Is it really wise to allow people with such a low voter approval the authority to tax and spend on the entire populace unless we can remove them from office easier than gathering signatures from 20% of registered voters?
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jan 8, 2012, 5:21 pm
Places like Twin Falls need to come up with something to pay for all the infrastructure they have promised Chobini. The figure of $29 million is stuck in my mind
and Nampa needs a way to make up the $1million annual loss on the Idaho Center. Other ciities have their own white elephants not paid for yet
Jan 8, 2012, 10:56 pm
STOP LOCAL OPTION TAXES NOW!!
Why? we will see every branch of local governments asking for one tax after another. AND worse yet using our tax dollars will be used to promote and advertise for passage. We will see local government agencies become nothing more than “get the vote out” agancies.
Jan 8, 2012, 10:58 pm
“Stop” – I could not agree more. Who thinks that giving thse people an open checkbook will make them either accountable or efficient?
Jan 9, 2012, 9:32 am
Cities and counties are bumping into the tax cap on their spending and now they want a local option tax to keep spending?
They already are picking our pockets with urban renewal laws now they want another “tool” to screw with taxpayers. What a crock this is. They need to learn how to make do with what they have.
Stop all the “if we build it they will come” millstone around the necks of taxpayers projects, the info campaigns for waste and spend projects, and all the administrative bloat in government. Learn to live with what you get from us.
Local option taxes for small resort towns may make sense to support city services made necessary by the tourist and visitors to these towns but not anywhere else. It is simply wrong and is nothing but “catnip” to waste taxpayer dollars to expand this option.
Jan 9, 2012, 9:57 am
It needs to be stopped before they even present it. Just more waste in goverment.
I thought Republicans were against new Taxes?
Jan 9, 2012, 12:01 pm
Dave,
The US Congress has a low approval rating. The Idaho legislature has a low approval rating in my house, but I don’t know of any statewide polling on them.
I would approve of local option income taxes for infrastructure (roads and bridges, but not convention centers, etc) but not approve of local option sales tax for any purpose. We need to repeal the sales tax altogether and replace that revenue with income taxes.
Jan 9, 2012, 1:09 pm
Stop is not enough. Look at California, after Prop 13, the sale tax rate has increased and various local option taxes granted to where some jurisdictions the rate approaches 10%. Has it solved their budget deficits? The answer is no, and their governments still require more money. Government appetite for money equates to a drug user, always need more to satisfy its hunger.
Jan 9, 2012, 2:44 pm
We need to all call our state representatives and tell them to kill this now. SO please call anyone you know at the state house asap.
Jan 9, 2012, 3:47 pm
Local politicos run mostly unopposed, or with only token opposition–they claim it is due to voter satisfaction. The GUARDIAN suspects people are simply beaten down and apathetic. The rise of the Tea Party on the right and the Occupiers on the left attest to dissatisfaction at all levels of government.
That is VERY accurate, Dave! (IMO.)
For me, a defining moment (actually two moments) was when the Idaho voters approved term limits for our Legislators. They patted us on the head and told us they know better than us, and promptly threw out the voter-mandated term limits.
I’m in favor of the local option… with either the 2/3 supermajority or your proposal of 20% of registered voters. Frankly, I have as much confidence in my fellowcitizens, as I do the Legislature.
(The local option tax is likely the only way we’ll ever see an improved public transit system. I’m not sure I’d vote for it, but I’d like the opportunity to see the debate, and to vote either for or against.)