Taxes
Boise Lives Beyond Its Means, Bieter To Ask For $34M Bond Debt
Two days after the city annexed an additional 1.5 square miles–increasing the need to provide services–and only a week or so after announcing a joint agreement with emergency service providers, plans are afoot to go into debt to buy $34,000,000 worth of “infrastructure” improvements and expansions for police, fire, and parks. The good news is […]
Ombudsman Departure Signals Need For Police Commission
With the departure of Boise Police Ombudsman Pierce Murphy, citizens are left without an advocate who is not beholding to the coppers. Murphy is unique in that he made the rules for his job and ended up with a national rep for fair handed oversight of coppers. He has left for a similar post in […]
Cop Cars: How Many How Much?
OPEN LETTER TO THE BOISE MAYOR AND COUNCIL Dear Mayor and Council, With the Boise City budget pending final approval and police union negotiations approaching, we thought it was a public benefit to check on the Boise Police vehicle fleet and the “take home car” policy. The police budget accounts for 34% of the entire […]
Treasure Valley Taxes Compared
GUEST POST BY RON HARRIMAN In the chart below are the tax amounts from the budgets of Boise, Meridian, Caldwell and Nampa. The data is from the Idaho Tax Commission and Idaho Census. Calculations of the taxes are per person on budget expenditures and then per household. The average household is statistically adjusted by 2011 […]
Meridian Rings Bell On North Star Charter
In a fiscally wise move, the Meridian School Board has rung the bell on the North Star charter school in Eagle which is mired in debt and pulled its charter. While the North Star charter school is a “public school,” it is not part of the Meridian District, but in essence “licensed” by Meridian. Meridian […]
Bieter Not So Subtle In Run For Gov.
The past few days of news in the Daily Paper citing Boise’s mayor and his wisdom on jobs, highway impact fees, Guv Butch Otter, attracting business, all lead us to conclude he is running for governor. According to an ACHD press release, the mayor spouts anecdotes like Ronald Reagan–worth a laugh, but shy on facts. […]
Up In The Air Over Political Spending
Recent news accounts from Boise and Mountain Home make us pause over the reasons public money is being spent for political reasons–all ultimately aimed at “helping business” by keeping airplanes flying. Our friends at the Mountain Home News report local politicos are worried about yet another round of potential Base Realignment and Closures (BRAC). The […]
$15.86: The Value Of A Vote In Ada
What can you get in Ada County for $15.86? A chance to exercise your right to cast a single vote. Chief Deputy Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane has made his final tabulations and reports the cost of the May 21 election was just shy of $150,000. Even with few issues on the consolidated election ballot, […]
Does Anyone Care About Voter Apathy?
Top winners in the Tuesday GBAD election captured about 1.5% of the registered votes. Not only were most voters in Ada County asleep when the Greater Boise Auditorium District (GBAD) votes were tallied last night, they napped rather than vote at all. Only 9,457 of the registered 175,849 voters (5%) bothered to exercise their right […]
Four Votes Approve $781 Million Development Debt
The Spring Valley CID north of Eagle needed a 2/3 majority vote to pass Tuesday and it got exactly 4 out of six votes to approve the $325 million bonds worth a total of $781 million after interest. Future homeowners will have to repay the debt. VOTES PERCENT REGISTERED VOTERS – TOTAL . . . […]
M3 To Get A Single Vote (Updating Previous Post)
In an election eve development Monday afternoon, Ada County Clerk Chris Rich as decided to “spoil” all 50 of the ballots sent to M3 headquarters in Arizona. However, M3 has come up with a local “authorized rep” in Ada County who will be allowed to cast a single ballot, bringing the number of voters to […]
Fifty Votes From M3 Development To Be Sealed, Not Counted
Ada County Clerk Chris Rich told the GUARDIAN Monday that 50 ballots from the M3 development owner north of Eagle would not be counted in tomorrow’s bond election after both the Idaho Attorney General and Ada County Prosecutor determined only residents of Idaho and the district could vote. That leaves the fate of $325 million […]
Balance GBAD Board To Prevent A Strong Majority
The GUARDIAN has had numerous inquiries of “Who should I vote for in the GBAD election?” The big issue is what to do with a $13 million nest egg from the hotel room tax burning a hole in the collective pocket of the candidates. Some want a publicly funded baseball park. Others want a bigger […]
Five Voters Are Key To $781 Million Bond Deal
When a mere five electors cast their ballots in the May 21 election, they will determine one of the biggest financial decisions in Idaho history, totaling $781 MILLION dollars. According to the official ballot language, revenue and general obligation bonds total $325 million and at the estimated interest rate of 7%, homeowners will eventually repay […]
Boise Has No Authority For Trolley
Looks like that pesky IDAHO CONSTITUTION has gotten in the way of Team Dave once again. Mayor Dave Bieter is set to ask the City Council Tuesday for funds for yet another street car, trolley study. What he should be doing is sucking up to the ACHD Commishes because that group holds ALL the cards […]
Do Charter Schools Comply With Idaho Constitution?
The financial failure of the North Star Charter School in Eagle–and at least six other charters– has raised questions for which the GUARDIAN is finding it difficult to get answers. While these schools seem to be following the Idaho Code, there are some legitimate legal questions regarding the Idaho Constitution. These step children of traditional […]
AA Faces 300,000% Rent Hike In Historic Fire Station
The local Grapevine Club of Alcoholics Anonymous is facing a 3000% increase in rent for its meeting and clubhouse space at 1518 W. Fort St. For more than 60 years Boise City has leased the facility for $1 a year. As of May 1, the City is demanding a monthly rent of $300, waiving rent […]
Boise Artists Fail To Make Cut For City Hall Project
Once again, local artists have failed to come up to the standards for public art that appeal to Boise’s art selection committee. At issue is what to put in front of City Hall as part of the remodel. A city panel chose Volkan Alkanoglu from Atlanta; a team of artists called Actual Size from Stoughton, […]
Team Dave Suporters Run For G-BAD, Is Baseball Park The Motive?
While the upcoming election for the Greater Boise Auditorium District board is like a massive dose of Ambien to most folks, we see a potential behind the scenes “take over” by Team Dave which could be a dream or nightmare, depending on your point of view. Incumbents Stephanie Astorquia and Rob Perez are seeking reelection […]
Bonner County Violates Law In Effort To Skirt Voters
In the latest example of local officials skirting voter approval for debt in excess of a single year’s revenues, Bonner County finds itself crosswise of the Idaho Constitution. Instead of asking permission of citizens as prescribed in Article VIII, sec. 3 of the Idaho Constitution, Bonner Commishes simply took a lesson from their Federal counterparts […]
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