County
Visser Tosses Hot Potato At Commishes
June 28, 2018 
Ada Commish Rick Visser tossed out a hot potato to the Assessor and fellow Commishes Thursday morning when he appeared before the Board of Equalization (comprised of the three commissioners) to appeal his own property tax assessment.
Visser was challenging a 21% hike in the assessed value of his home. He said all the houses in his neighborhood received similar appraisal increases, but he is the only one to appeal.
First to catch the hot spud was the staff of Assessor Bob McQuade who told the GUARDIAN, “We treated it just like any other property tax appeal.” He didn’t mention Visser is one of the guys who approves his budget and even his salary.
When it came time for the scheduled hearing, Visser properly recused himself from the decision process since he had an obvious conflict, leaving the hot potato in the hands of Commissioners Dave Case and Jim Tibbs. Case wasn’t about to get his hands burned, so he also recused himself by abstaining. That left Tibbs to catch the hot potato. He didn’t want to eat it all alone, so he too abstained. Tibbs sought to throw a “hail Mary” and get a motion to have the Idaho Board of Tax Appeals rule on Visser’s property value.
It wasn’t clear how any of this was legally accomplished since the quorum of at least two commsihes was destroyed when Case and Visser bowed out. Perhaps Somehow someone must have recinded their recusal?? They all took a lesson from former Prosecutor Greg Bower and got rid of the hot potato before anyone got burned.
Now the State Board of Tax Appeals will have to decide if it is gonna be fried, boiled, baked or mashed for Visser’s property.
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Comments & Discussion
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Jun 28, 2018, 10:45 pm
Visser is as crooked as they come. Run ins with fish and game, his support for legislation that would require less public notice about public meetings (http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2018/mar/01/house-panel-rejects-bill-end-requirement-agencies-publish-notices-let-them-just-post-their-own-websites-instead/) AND his latest flub during the County budget deliberations in which he violated open meeting laws by threatening to change his vote on a budget item if he didn’t get what he wanted over an after hours email rather than discussing it in the open meeting. This property tax issue is another great example of Visser acting above the law.
Jul 2, 2018, 11:24 am
Since the Treasure Valley Politicians, specifically Dave Beiter, are the ones who have caused the dramatic rise in property values, how about a Class Action lawsuit against them. Sue the Politicians and their big donors for the increase in property taxes. If the Politicians want “growth” so badly, let them and their corporate masters pay for it.
Jul 2, 2018, 11:00 pm
Editor this class action guy posts crap everywhere else on the internet too. Nonsensical most of the time and seems to think it’s the solution to any and every problem. Perhaps he has not noticed when a class action suit is settled for millions everyone is sent a check for $3. Plus can’t sue city hall when your lawyer is sipping wine with the mayor.
As for the hot potato story. Visser should be able to get an adjustment if appropriate just like everyone else.
My biggest problem with the county is they think each apartment unit only needs parking for one car when in reality it’s about 4 cars per unit. Renters blow money on cars, that’s why they have to rent… and all their friends flop on the couch. Apartment complexes should also be assessed a fee for additional police services, as should Walmart.
Jul 3, 2018, 9:06 am
Argh, I agree Visser should have the right to appeal, but before his own board?? Come on!! It would also be different if Visser were actually arguing on the basis of sales in his area to prove his point that his neighborhood is an area of blight. Instead he is an angry old crooked man who holds a key position in community government that is using his position to bully his way into getting favorable treatment. And don’t be confused, if his or anyone else’s assessment is lowered the government agencies are not getting any less money, instead it is all those who didn’t get those reductions that get to pay more toward the proportion of taxes collected by those agencies. Basically those who do not complain get to pay for those who do.
The problem with the apartments is not the county, but the city. Boise in particular seems to want density and more density without consideration of parking, because in their narrow little north/east end minds we all ride bikes!! Tell me how the city develops on the 1.8 car basis? And what kind of cars are they, not the kind most drive. Just take a look at downtown garages, where you have trucks and crossovers sticking out into the driving lanes and over the parking spot lines left and right.