County
When Lawyers Disagree Citizens Pay
April 2, 2012 
The efforts of the GUARDIAN to pay for a 99 year lease on behalf of the North Ada County Fire and Rescue district were rejected by the Ada Commishes.
Last month we presented a $99 check to Chairman Rick Yzaguirre on behalf of NACFAR for a lease from Ada County for the land under station #16 on Glenwood. In a letter to GUARDIAN editor Dave Frazier, the Commishes claimed: “The ballot question does more than authorize the $1 annual lease payment. The ballot question authorizes the fire district to enter into a long term obligation including paying for such things as water, power, sewer, property and liability insurance, maintenance, repairs and replacements.”
Really? If so, NACFAR voters are getting scammed. We have a copy of the ballot and NONE of the items identified as “liabilities and obligations” are even hinted at on the ballot question. Also none of those items would fall into the category of “long term” obligations. Each is a simple annual expense.
The Ballot says: “Shall the board of commissioners of the North Ada County Fire & Rescue District be authorized to lease the property for fire station16, located at 5800 Glenwood, Boise from Ada County, Idaho for ninety-nine years at a lease fee of one dollar ($1) per year?”
We also have a copy of the letter from NACFARs attorney to the Ada county attorney which asserts there is no need for voters to approve a $99 year lease.
The reason this issue is important to voters is we fear it is an attempt to further erode the constitutional requirement to seek voter approval for long term debt. Legislators next year could easily be swayed by the argument, “it was necessary to have an election for a trivial $99 agreement.”
Either the county is overstating the issue or voters are being deprived of the true intent of the vote. (We see it as an overstatement). Meanwhile the vote will cost an extra $1200 for the complex ballots due to diverse residency among 13 precints.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Apr 2, 2012, 3:24 pm
Mr Gaurdian;
Please stop trying to find logic in the decisions of our elected leaders, if they had such skills, they would not be running for office but working an actual job. Try pulling out your pom poms and cheering, imagine all the media events you would get invited to attend instead of having to sneak in the back door. Imagine that, an actual invitation in hand!
EDITOR NOTE–I wouldn’t attend an event sponsored by anyone who would want me in attendance….with deference to Mark Twain.
Apr 3, 2012, 1:21 pm
At least, this is not as insane as the $540,479 as of March 31 spent by the state defending the Pam Lowe lawsuit. The State may lose all the marbles in that one.
Apr 3, 2012, 2:26 pm
Clancy they have to first find the marbles.
Apr 3, 2012, 10:41 pm
What’s $99 compared to the 2 million that Rick, Fred & Sharon gave to Dynamis? Maybe ITD should ask Ada County for some of the extra cash we seem to have lying around.