County
Citizen Rights In Jeopardy
If a proposed amendment to Idaho’s constitution passes, citizens will be denied the right to approve certain long term debts. The constitution MANDATES that local government ask permission of voters. The cities and counties have steadfastly refused to take ANY bond issues to the voters since this decision. I believe BLAINE county passed a bond […]
Commishes and School In Bidding War
Seems that local governments in Idaho have a lot in common when it comes to money management. This piece is from our sister blog the CALDWELL GUARDIAN. By CALDWELL GUARDIAN THE GUARDIAN has determined the Canyon Commishes earnest money offer and announced purchase of the state Job Service building out by Larry Miller Ford is […]
Commish Cited For Packing Heat At Airport
When Canyon County Commish Dave Ferdinand came through the security lane at the Boise Airport packing heat he didn’t get far. The TSA X-ray tech tipped the cops and in addition to his electronic ticket and boarding pass, the Commish had a paper ticket–charging him with a misdemeanor. He reportedly made his flight but the […]
False Alarms Planned For Sirens
No need to duck and cover or even head for high ground if you hear sirens in the next few days. The county is planning on some flash flood “false alarms.” The Ada City-County Emergency Management Department plans to conduct routine maintenance on the flash flood siren system located in the Boise foothills this week. […]
Constitution Under Attack
After attending a meeting Tuesday with representatives of Idaho cities, counties, health districts, and banks we came away feeling there is a conspiracy afoot to deprive citizens of the right to vote on local debt (bonds). In a nutshell these people want to remove voter approval for airports, parking facilities, sewer extensions and more through […]
Jail For Sale Deals With State?
REPORTED BY CALDWELL GUARDIAN Looks like the State of Idaho is working on a plan to solve the overcrowding problem at the prisons–have the counties build new and bigger jails. A recent proposed contract deal between county sheriffs and the Corrections Department discussed at an IDAHO ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES DISTRICT III ELECTED OFFICIALS meeting explains […]
No Avimor Poop For Boise
We recently got a whiff of pending plans on the prospects of placing poop from Avimor in Boise. The GUARDIAN broke what is really a significant story last month in the saga of the planned community in northern Ada County and the subject of AVIMOR POOP . We revealed the developer wants to use a […]
Irrigation Proposal Makes Sense
Monday’s mail provided an “official check” from the Nampa Meridian Irrigation District in the amount of $4.78 and a note saying the Board of Directors had reviewed the plight of Brian Bandhauer and waived the taxes previously paid by the GUARDIAN. As a certified GROWTHOPHOBE, we have given the issue of charging homeowners for water […]
GUARDIAN Stops Lien On Home
The Nampa-Meridian Irrigation District has placed a lien on the home of a Meridian man over a disputed $4.78 late fee. The insanity of a government agency spending untold cash to chase $4.78 so outraged the GUARDIAN that we drove to Nampa to pay the bill ourselves and put an end to the childish behavior. […]
Attempt To Liven Up Coroner Office
Claiming “All images will be appropriate viewing for all ages,” Ada County Coroner Erwin Sonnenberg has launched a new web page he describes as “exciting.” The INVESTIGATIONS PAGE is part of the official county website. The first “exciting entry” consists of a grisly close up photo showing a dog’s severed paw compared to X-rays of […]
Citizen Authority Could Increase
The Idaho Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case which has the potential of allowing citizens the ability to force local government to follow the law. A group of Canyon County property owners were not allowed “standing”–the right to sue or be part of a court case– when they tried to stop the […]
Property Taxes Likely To Rise
Despite the nationwide decline in housing sales–and the subsequent value of homes–it is likely 2008 will bring a property tax increase. Here’s why. Ada Assessor Bob McQuade tracks local sale prices and has appraisers in the field on a daily basis. He predicts the valuations will be pretty much flat. Some of the “McMansions” may […]
THOU SHALT NOT POLLUTE
We find ourselves a bit fed up with the inability of the politicos to do much more than talk about our dirty air for fear of discouraging growth. It may take some political will–not found today, but the proposed GUARDIAN LAW will stop out-of-county polluters. The GUARDIAN LAW will be real simple: “THOU SHALT NOT […]
Air Quality Talk Will Create Hot Air
Plan on a lot of HOT air when folks discuss BAD air at a “Town Hall” meeting Tuesday at 7p.m. in the council chamber of Boise City. Experts from all the local planning, air quality, and highway agencies will each give presentations. If they follow the usual protocol, the politicos and bureaucrats will spew their […]
It Is About Time–Buying Or Selling
Pay taxes, file a divorce, testify in a trial or just stop by and chat up the Commishes and you can park for an hour FREE! Courthouse visitors will now receive one free hour of parking as they access county services on the Courthouse Complex located at 200 W. Front Street in Boise. The Ada […]
Transit Sounds Good, Costs Too Much
By Ronald M. Harriman GUARDIAN READER Your legislators will be asked this year to allow a local option tax for transit in the Treasure Valley. The transit plan proposed by the local Idaho transit folks is $1.2 Billion dollars over the next 20 years, probably funded with sales taxes. It SOUNDS good…”it will clean […]
Whose Side Are They On?
A GUARDIAN reader suggests we pass a county ordinance similar to federal law for lobbyists. He notes the recent announcement that Richard Cook, administrator of Ada County P & Z, is leaving to take a high paid position at WRG Design, a consulting group to SunCor and Spring Valley Ranch. This revolving door situation […]
COMMISHES ABOLISH SLAVERY
WOW! The Ada Commishes can get things done quickly when they want to. After a Friday GUARDIAN posting brought allegations to their attention regarding SLAVE LABOR (a catchy headline we thought), they convened a hasty Tuesday meeting to discuss the practice of sentencing juvenile offenders to work at a private commercial enterprise. The Commishes unanimously […]
County Provides Slave Labor
SLAVE– • a person who works very hard without proper remuneration… The Civil War may have ended slavery, but not in Ada County where children are working without pay at a commercial retail establishment. The GUARDIAN has received a complaint of slave labor–literally–right here in Ada County. It is a serious matter in need of […]
Avimor Highway Access Problems?
Attend a public hearing for a proposed real estate development and you will likely hear the developer ask the regulatory authority to waive many of the codes, rules, and regulations pertaining to such projects. When an agency like Ada County or Idaho Transportation Department yields to such requests, a developer gets a good deal, and […]
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