http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/article190850349.html

http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/slick-roads-cause-multiple-slide-offs-crashes-on-i-84/499832561

Clarification of property tax exemption for churches:

I.C. 63-602B States: used exclusively for and in connection with any combination of religious, educational, or recreational purposes or activities of such religious limited liability company, corporation or society, including any and all residences used for or in furtherance of such purposes.

Thus, Cathedral of the Rockies continues to have tax exemption to the property on Fort Street that they purchased for development because it is dedicated presently to a community orchard and garden. I guess that is a recreational or educational purpose????

Just one example: With local police-sheriff raking in 30-50% of the TOTAL local budgets why do I see several sympathy stories about county jail problems on TV news each month? You’d think these guys rode an old mule to work instead of the reality of more new vehicles than a car dealership.

We should not be hearing violin music for any of these local government divisions. Gigantic bigger than ever budgets while at the same time, as the Guardian points out, they let their friends slip away tax free.

I vote “no exemption”.
Two different topics being blended into one.
One- tax-exempt status is the federal declaration for income taxes and has little to do this topic although it tends to be the brunt of comments and opinions.
Two- THIS issue is only about property tax. The State of Idaho has determined organizations with the federal exemption do not have to pay property tax.

Easy remedy- organizations should have to QUALIFY for the property tax exemption.
Old people have to qualify for a reduction on their personal home property tax- organizations should too!
See Idaho’s Property Tax Reduction Program.
For example, it could be:
A) if organizations gets more than 50% of their support from the state or county, then they get an exemption on qualified property.
B) if an organization has more than a million dollars in assets they don’t get an exemption.

Keep in mind it is not just the real property (dirt) but the operational equipment (tangible property) such as x-ray machines.

Exempting St Luke’s is much different than exempting a Terry Reilly’s medical clinic.

Would anything with such reasonableness pass in Idaho? No. And that is solely based on the religious hold on Idaho’s legislature. Booo!

BUT FIRST: Assessors should be required to maintain records for assessed value on ALL exempt property and report to Commissioners annually- made public, of course. TWO, developers getting the ag exemption is bs.

A good article from last year:
“They stop paying tax and everyone else pays a little more,” http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article60332921.html

Compare it to the Library! – where one can learn and create bunches of stuff.
Or if instruction is your preference, _ Boise Community Education Classes.

thmbs down for JUMP (Simplot family) not paying property taxes.

The Simplot Corporation pays rent on the land to JUMP so that the Simplot Corp can write off the payments as they go to a “non-profit”.

The whole Simplot “monument” is a joke on the citizens of Boise. The Simplots don’t do anything to benefit the community – they only do what benefits themselves.

And to David above – your comments are 100% not correct. Been there – they helped (and do help) a lot.

EDITOR NOTE–The rule is the property must be used EXCLUSIVELY for religious purposes. Day care business area in church is taxed. Also the big church even pays tax on welfare farms to avoid the conflict issue…at least they have in the past.

Not for the depressed or inebriated – indeed you could actually JUMP!

Tax exemptions are not the problem but the abuse of the exemptions and the greed of those hospitals, organizations, and corporations who do profit excessively.

The issue of the JUMP being tax exempt needs to be looked at.

http://www.ktvb.com/money/nearly-half-a-dozen-vacant-store-fronts-in-downtown-nampa-redevelopment-underway/499310463