Taxes
Taxes To Increase Eagle Rd. Traffic
Meridian politicos are aiming to deprive the citizens of Idaho of at least $15 million in sales taxes to help a commercial developer create more traffic on Eagle Road at Fairview where he wants to build another retail mall. A new law passed by the Idaho legislature to subsidize a Cabela’s in North Idaho will […]
Wanna Pay For 200 Jobs?
We admit it isn’t real sexy, but the GUARDIAN is not comfortable with the way Team Dave is managing the City land holdings and real estate speculation. The latest cause for concern evolves around a political announcement by Team Dave that WinCo would build a 700,000 square foot “distribution center” adjacent to a big block […]
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 […]
Ag Exemption Is Dirty Secret
Psst! Wanna save a bundle on property taxes? Just get yourself an agricultural exemption. Developers do it all the time and farmers love it because they can go for years with minimal crops or grazing and then cash in for megabucks by selling to developers who grow houses. The Ada Assessor has recently jerked agriculture […]
Boise City Campaign Issues
The single most important role of any city council is the budget process. Boise City is about to embark on the process of deciding how to spend more than $157,000,000 of our tax money. The department heads will parade through with power point presentations full of charts and graphs explaining why their requests should be […]
Property Tax Woes Explained
GUARDIAN reader Tom Lopez sent us a rather articulate letter he had sent to Guv Butch eloquently detailing what is quickly becoming a TAX CRISES here in Idaho. Your comments are welcome. Since the letter is long, please click on the bottom CONTINUE button to see the entire version. Tom asks readers to write their […]
City Budget News
Boise City Councilors will hear Team Dave and department heads present shopping lists for three days next week. We are concerned about plans to spend more than $113,300 to refurbish the “railroad to nowhere.” The city acquired 18 miles of track that runs roughly from Gowen Field to a lonely junction in the desert. The […]
Highway Money Goes To Consultants
–Ada County Highway District paid $115,000 for a consultation by the Urban Land Institute to tell them what they wanted to hear. Namely that 6 cities within the county have to stick to their comprehensive master plans and ACHD should work with them. In short, everyone should play nice. The GUARDIAN would have told them […]
GUARDIAN Saves Taxpayers $49,000
After the GUARDIAN questioned the propriety of Agricultural tax exemptions on land at the corner of Linder and Chinden in a posting by “Taxpayer Murphy,” Ada County Assessor Bob McQuade made adjustments to the tax status of the land. The changes came after appraisers looked at the land and the use. McQuade said his office […]
Ag Exemption Right or Wrong?
By: Taxpayer Murphy For all the taxpayers who are unhappy with their recent assessment increase, there should be an even greater cause of concern. Any property which is under assessed or is receiving some form of an exemption not entitled by law is being subsidized by all other taxpayers, by reduced taxes. Properties which are […]
Tax Assessment Notice Explained
Ada County property tax assessments got delayed due to a mechanical glitch, but when they come to your mailbox, get ready for some sticker shock. Keep in mind the notice is nothing more than an appraised value of your home or business at the first of the year. Local governments such as city, county, highway […]
Why Super Majority Vote Is Fair
A recent batch of bond elections for schools, library, and a community college have caused the old “super majority” issue to once again raise its ugly head. MOST of the recent bonds in the state have passed the 2/3 super majority. Those in FAVOR of the bonds–not unfairly labeled as “liberals”–see the 67% majority as […]
Ada Voters Raise Canyon Tax
We noticed the community college election measure failed in Canyon County, but passed with enough margin in Ada County to create a passing grade in the two counties. A Canyon County reader came up with this observation: Can you please tell us how it is legal for Ada County and Canyon County voters to be […]
Housing Inventory at 8,000
Recent reports from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) show about 8,000 unsold homes on the market in the Valley and many in the real estate industry say the backlog will translate into lower sales prices. That inventory increased from about 1,700 in January. Houses simply are not selling. The Daily Paper did a business piece […]
Report From Sun Valley Growth Meet
A GUARDIAN EXCLUSIVE In their zeal to control the hearts and minds of Valley politicos, the Chamber of Commerce offset a chance to do good with its annual Sun Valley leadership conference. Not only did they sequester the politicos, most were subjected to party line pro-growth presentations. Our correspondent reports that only two of the […]
Inside Cop Union, City Negotiations
Labor negotiations between the City of Boise and its police department have bogged down over some health benefit issues, but a letter sent to the individual cops has caused allegations of union busting attempts by the City at worst and bad faith bargaining at best. It all stems from a Friday the 13th eight page […]
C. College Vote Means Windfall For CCDC
Unless someone can prove differently, the GUARDIAN is of the opinion that approval of the Community College ballot measure will mean yet another windfall profit for Boise’s urban renewal agency, CCDC (Capital City Development Corp). Here’s how it works. Under the tax increment financing scheme that funds the CCDC (and urban renewal agencies around the […]
Time to Dissolve CCDC
With the latest revelations about the infamous “Hole” at 8th and Idaho, the GUARDIAN concludes it is time to dissolve the CCDC. In a front page piece Thursday, Statesman reporter Joe Estrella tells readers that Charterhouse Development is in default on a $2.6 million loan to finance the acquisition of the hole. Furthermore, financing looks […]
Wanna SuperSize That?
Here are some GROWING ideas worth discussing on the GUARDIAN. Growthophiles should have to register and have their photos published on the sheriff’s website. We see a mental disorder in working to increase the population and then spend all your waking hours figuring ways to deal with GROWTH. Boise leaders are ill advised to continue […]
Melba School Bond Bashed
By DON HAMILTON On March 16th a few of Melba’s voters, by an almost fourteen percent margin, passed a $300,000 supplemental school bond. This levy was said to be needed because Melba’s current $200,000 levy expires this year. It is also claimed that there has been an almost ten percent increase of new students this […]
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