CCDC
Mayor Muffs Election Dates
February 20, 2019 
“SHELL GAME”–CREDIT: GUARDIAN READER
UPDATE 2/21/19–ADVISORY VOTE AUTHORITY UNCLEAR
Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane spent much of Thursday researching the Idaho Code and consulting with the Idaho Secretary of State’s office. His conclusion is, “There just isn’t any clear authority for cities to conduct advisory votes, despite what the Association of Cities guide says.”
McGrane said it is possible cities simply “did it” regarding the policy guide book.
ORIGINAL POST
Once again, Boise City folks can’t seem to get their facts straight. Mayor Dave Bieter told the council Tuesday that advisory votes for cities would not be allowed except in even numbered years by Idaho code.
According to an election guide for cities published by the Association of Idaho Cities, it looks like city advisory elections can be held in ANY year. (NOTE TOP OF PAGE 8 IN LINK). The proposed referendum vote can be held in odd year elections.
The question arose at the Tuesday council meeting where councilors were set to seek an advisory vote on the proposed library project and a sports stadium. That discussion was prompted by a petition drive seeking a vote to approve the projects. The acting city attorney erroneously called the proposed referendum ballot measure “unconstitutional.”
All the maneuvering is clearly an attempt to avoid a bond election for public debt as mandated by the Idaho constitution. The politicos are attempting to launder tax money through the CCDC urban renewal agency instead of having a simple vote on these profound projects which will change the city in perpetuity.
We urge the council to trust the voters who elected THEM. It isn’t the concept of a new library that has citizens up in arms, it is the scale, scope, and financing that is of concern. There has been way too much “quiet corruption” going on in the form of first class travel, one-sided agreements, and city officials leaving to profit from their public actions in the private sector.
In short, the only binding voice we have is that of the purse strings.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Feb 20, 2019, 12:42 pm
His Majesty King Bieter finds laws to be an annoyance, only applicable to the Peasants.
We are seeing a similar fight in Chicago, where the people are fighting a land grab and $500,000,000 library in a place of deperate poverty.
Chicagoans are calling it an “ugly waste of taxpayer resources”.
City of Chicago lawyers conceded Thursday that Chicago would pay an estimated $175 million to reconfigure roads to manage traffic around the center.
“Protect our Parks” of Chicago accused the city of illegally transferring park land to The Obama Foundation, a private entity.
The group claims this was effectively “gifting” prized public land to a longstanding crony of Chicago politicians.
EDITOR NOTE–this sounds like it is probably the Obama Presidential library rather than a city library.
Feb 20, 2019, 3:47 pm
Page 8 of The Election Manual for City Clerks, prepared by the Association of Idaho Cities in cooperation with the Secretary of State, states:
“City bond, levy, liquor by the drink, advisory ballot and other elections may be held in May or November in any year.“
https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/clerk/Manuals/2017_CityElectionManual_FINAL.pdf
Feb 20, 2019, 5:28 pm
More smoke and mirrors down at city hall.
Last night’s city council discussion missed the point. People aren’t asking for an advisory vote. We want an open, transparent public involvement process, not shell-game financing and spending thousands of dollars on PR and “branding” experts to hold focus groups to “shape” public opinion.
There’s a pattern: Trolley, F-35, St. Luke’s expansion, Albertson bike park, stadium, Library! expansion evolving into $100 million “civic center”—”Leadership” knows best, and after the die is cast you get three minutes to say what you think of it.
Feb 20, 2019, 6:23 pm
Thank you for the useful link, Idaholc. These are Initiatives that were filed with the city by Boise Working Together. They are not for advisory votes, and it is my understanding they would become ordinances if passed.
The muddling of the Mayor obscured the difference between what the city claimed to be contemplating, which was an Advisory vote, and what’s filed.
Here is what the Manual says about Initiatives:
City initiative and referendum elections are held at the November election in odd-numbered years, along with city candidate elections. I know I was confused listening to the Council meeting discussion last night.
I think the Mayor’s goal was to sow confusion …
Feb 20, 2019, 9:05 pm
Who dare speak and tell the Mayor he is wrong? None of them! Not a single one of that chicken #%&* bunch of feel good money grubbing ass kissers. It should not fall to the Guardian to notice such a misleading statement by the Mayor.
City Councilors, it’s time you stop drinking the kook-aid and do the right thing for the taxpayers. Either that or please run out your term at next election.
Feb 21, 2019, 6:58 am
Where in the city code is this core function language? Nowhere, I suspect.
Feb 21, 2019, 9:56 am
If anyone is interested, Lauren McClean sent out an e-mail with a few survey questions about the Library and Cabin. I did not get the e-survey mail, but it was forwarded to me (even though I at times get other things from her so it may have been sent to only the “in” crowd). If folks want to comment, and spread the survey beyond the “in” crowd – there is space to type in what you think:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLSdTn8r_FMiCjN-64yS7wp1J8e94Qc5VkTso0X8gNyh2qRA/viewform?fbzx=5309457193074456526
Feb 21, 2019, 10:54 am
I wish I could believe the mayor only wanted to “slow confusion.” It smells and waddles and quacks more like he wanted to create confusion and eliminate opposition to his grand vision of Tomorrowland. I see that New York wants to start putting a surcharge (tax) on all vehicles entering downtown. One can’t help but wonder how long until that becomes a perfect solution for Boise. Those who dared come to town would end up paying for pet projects in Bieterville, plus it would let bicycles and electric scooters rule the roads since fewer and fewer common folk would venture in restricted areas.
Feb 21, 2019, 3:53 pm
I truly apprecite this website. Thank you for poviding these topics and enabling this forum. Now for the library- the other day on Idaho Matters the topic was the Library! and how they are more community centers. Would it not be great to have a Grange/Library! in one’s hood. I like the Collister Library and would love that to be the investmen, one that create community in neighborshoods, not a downtown structure. I have voiced this often through the some 30 years I have live here. Yet I have no issue with refreshing the downtown Library!, but that is where it ends. I agree Mayor B. obviously fighting this vote and sadly has lost his way. I think it is now time for Boise to take a hard look at how it is spending taxpayers $$ and what is being given away at our expense. I am sad the new city counsel is aligned with this. If this does not get a vote we need to organize and vote them ALL out of office. This is simply wrong and tone deaf.
EDITOR NOTE–First step is some viable candidates for the November election. Three council seats an d the mayor.
Feb 21, 2019, 6:22 pm
We don’t want an advisory vote anyway. All Guardian readers should go to the Boise Working Together Facebook page and volunteer to carry a petition to let the people have an authoritative vote.
https://m.facebook.com/boiseworkingtogether/
Feb 22, 2019, 7:50 pm
So now that the workings are beginning to show from behind the curtains, there are many questions. Cover your eyes. . .
Has the library been less than forthcoming on this project? (Are they manipulating finances and operations?)
Has the library been in collusion with the mayor’s office, the donors, or themselves? (Who knew about this and when? Are entities other than the library manipulating finances and operations for other reasons?)
Is the library creating a viable and valuable project and doing it according to the best public law and policy?
When was the last time you went to a library/Downtown? Other places?
How much of a dollar figure would vote for a new library or a remodel? 20 mil? 30 mil? 35 mil? 45 mil? 60 mil? 70 mil?
Think back 15 years, and then branch libraries came along. On a scale of 1 to 5 (five is best) how successful do you FEEL they have been? Can they demonstrate success through feedback?
How has the management at the city and the library evolved with regard to professional experience and qualification vs. longevity and politics?
Can the old library be remodeled? What if there is an earthquake? What if Safdie did a remodel?
What is your favorite library?
Feb 22, 2019, 7:58 pm
If it is advisory, why not have it? The equivalent option would be a constitutional amendment, right? People for for constitutional amendment, and the elected overturn. Sounds advisory, and disregarded to me. Don’t know how this applies to cities.
Mar 1, 2019, 12:37 pm
Not surprised in the least. This is just so much more of the same tactics that centers of POWER utilize to get their way. We see this everywhere. California is a perfect example. The whole state looks like a Leninist projection of social engineering, but with 21st century glitter. Tech Giants are the new social class, with the Dem Party as the single Communist political organization. Chairman Brown carries out the edicts of elites that dine in their crystal dachas. And Mayor Bieter wants to be one of them.