Canyon
Nampa Urban Renewal Run By Out-of-County Residents
October 14, 2013 
In yet another revelation of urban renewal misdeeds, word comes from Nampa that members of the local Urban Renewal Agency Board not only don’t live in the city, they don’t even live in Canyon County.
The GUARDIAN has long been an opponent of urban renewal districts because they have no oversight by ANY government agency. While URA boards have no taxing authority, the tax revenues on improvements and appreciated value within a district are diverted away from schools, city, county, and other taxing units.
Citizens have no voice in these agencies and now we learn mayors can appoint anyone to determine the future of their cities while ignoring the will of the people if they choose to do so.
Here is a breakdown of the Nampa URA membership:
* Martin Thorne, Nampa, retired (serves on Nampa City Council)
* Pam White, Nampa, retired (serves on Nampa City Council)
* Jennifer Deroin, Meridian, Intermountain Community Bank
* Len Williams, Eagle, Home Federal Bank
* Ron Van Auker, Meridian, Van Auker Companies
* Rodney Moore, Nampa, retired
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Oct 14, 2013, 1:29 pm
To be fair, a 50/50 split doesn’t necessarily equate to headline. Who breaks a tie vote?
Spoiler alert preemptive guess at Guardian’s editor’s note: “Who’s to say the board ever had a tie vote!”
EDITOR NOTE–Glad we got your attention. A catcher can run a baseball team, QB can run football team, Boehner runs congress. Even if those “outsiders” never win, they are indeed running the district. Sorta like having people from Oregon in the Idaho legislature if you get the drift.
Oct 14, 2013, 10:36 pm
It would be nice if the out of town UR board members had the same skin in the game by having to pay for the debt that their actions have incurred for the taxpayers of Nampa all done without a vote. In the same line of thinking it seems unusual that out of 88 firefighters 52 live outside the city limits and out of 157 police dept. employees 61 live outside the city of Nampa. The city they have pledged to defend is not good enough for them to live in, apparently
Oct 15, 2013, 2:14 pm
Len Williams, president of Home Federal Bank headquartered in Nampa, is an appropriate member.
Oct 15, 2013, 4:03 pm
Mike–I beg to differ –Home Federal Bank has been purchased by Banner Bank who I believe are headquartered in Portland. Wallmart also, has substantial real estate in Nampa but I would oppose a member of the Walton family on the Nampa Urban Renewal Board also. If Mr. Williams has any integrity he will resign
Oct 18, 2013, 10:36 am
Welcome to 2C, aka Republicanistan. (It’s actually a club for rich guys)