Taxes
Tax Rates Low, But Changes Due
The 2006 tax levy numbers are in and Ada County Assessor Bob McQuade offers up a detailed series of charts and numbers so you can FIGURE YOUR TAX. The GUARDIAN cuts to the chase and will let you know the tax on your house will be right at 1.38% of the TAXABLE value–the assessed value […]
City Land Speculation Unabated
City government in Boise is in disarray as mayor and councilors are preoccupied with growth. We don’t know what is going on at City Hall, but neither do most of the city councilors. We do know they are hellbent on getting bigger at all costs and seek to create urban sprawl on a massive scale […]
Eagle Voters Burned In “Stealth Election”
About 90% of Eagle residents who went to the polls Tuesday missed out on an important Fire District vote because that election was held at a single location apart from the other 6 polling precincts. About 3,000 residents voted in Eagle in the primary, but the permanent Fire override tax levy had fewer than 300 […]
Eagle Voters Burned In “Stealth Election”
About 90% of Eagle residents who went to the polls Tuesday missed out on an important Fire District vote because that election was held at a single location apart from the other 6 polling precincts. About 3,000 residents voted in Eagle in the primary, but the permanent Fire override tax levy had fewer than 300 […]
Eagle Voters Burned In “Stealth Election”
About 90% of Eagle residents who went to the polls Tuesday missed out on an important Fire District vote because that election was held at a single location apart from the other 6 polling precincts. About 3,000 residents voted in Eagle in the primary, but the permanent Fire override tax levy had fewer than 300 […]
Eagle Voters Burned In “Stealth Election”
About 90% of Eagle residents who went to the polls Tuesday missed out on an important Fire District vote because that election was held at a single location apart from the other 6 polling precincts. About 3,000 residents voted in Eagle in the primary, but the permanent Fire override tax levy had fewer than 300 […]
Get Ready To Grumble!
The GUARDIAN has some official figures about land values in Boise which are of the “good news, bad news , worse news variety.” If you are looking to sell a piece of bare land in Boise, chances are it is worth a ton of money. Small lots averaged $53,000 during 2005 with a median price […]
Flood Is About More Than Water
A friend of the GUARDIAN discussed flood and growth issues over lunch recently and declared, “I don’t like it here anymore. I think I will move to Idaho!” Idaho is really a state of mind–just like California. “Kalifornikcate” is a state of mind about people and developers ruining a once beautiful spot on earth–regardless of […]
Special Treatment for Tamarack
The foreign business interests controlling TAMARACK Resort in Valley County continue their successful courting of Idaho government officials. Their latest coup came as André Agassi and Steffi Graf along with their Canadian real estate partners got the Idaho House of Reps to pass a bill to give them a special exemption from the Idaho liquor […]
Prop 13 For Idaho
EDITOR NOTE–THE FOLLOWING IS A GUARDIAN READER CONTRIBUTION — NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OR PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SUBJECT GROUP When charismatic Idaho Property Tax Reform Vice Chairman Charlie Pottenger spoke to a frenzied crowd of about 60 energetic seniors, at a Boise meeting on February 9, he had plenty of support to put a Prop […]
The Cost of Progress
GUARDIAN CORRESPONDENT STEVE HULME OFFERS AN OPEN LETTER TO ELECTED OFFICIALS: Our elected “representatives” are currently giving only lip service to the notion of residential property tax relief. Seems those tax bills, which in many cases have gone up 20 or 25 or even 33 percent over the space of a year or two, have […]
Library Plan Needs Refining
A GUARDIAN correspondent received a slick brochure urging residents to “Vote Yes for Boise’s Library!” The brochure is from “Great Libraries for Great Neighborhoods” and offers Shauneen Grange at 345-2125 as a contact. The GUARDIAN correspondent lives a good mile and a half from the Boise City Limit and cannot vote on the measure! We […]
Masterson Meets Motorists
If you want to have a personal chat with Boise’s Police Chief all you need to do is zip past him in traffic–he has made nearly 40 “contacts” with motorists during his first year on the job–along side the road. No doubt those he meets call him “sir” and say “thank-you” when he lets them […]
Dump on Dirk
Legislative season brings out all the kooks with weird ideas and it looks like Gov. Dirk is doing his best to lead the pack. No other way to put it folks, we are being deluged with bad ideas. –Gov Dirk wants to buy about $2 million worth of bare ground around the J.R. Simplot “free” […]
Tale of Two Cities
Eagle and Boise represent a tale of two cities when it comes to development philosophy. A proposed high end development in Eagle built around a designer golf course along with a designer swimming, tennis, and soccer sports programs is a far cry from Boise’s penchant for “infill.” Boise provides those amenities at taxpayer expense. Both […]
Tragic, Sad, Fire Protection Lesson
Steve Tupper’s house burned to the ground Wednesday night in rural Ada County south of Kuna-Mora Road and because he lived outside any fire protection district, no fire trucks responded. KTVB-TV had Tupper on camera and he felt “someone” should have responded. Tupper’s tragedy is a common tale and a risk accepted by everyone who […]
Look For Meridian Bond Failure
We look for the Meridian School Bond to fail at the polls Tuesday, but not for lack of trying. Both sides sent mailings to school patrons–a fancy word for taxpayers–and both had reasons to vote their way. The GUARDIAN predicts the vote will actually become a referendum AGAINST growth rather than any judgement for or […]
Property Tax Solution
Here is a novel idea which should raise the ire of developers and realtors while offering some relief and hope to current property owners. How about charging the 5% sales tax on real estate transactions–at least NEW RESIDENTIAL units? Before you start screaming too loudly, take a look at the potential benefits. –The 5% tax […]
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