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Bannock County
February 2022
Big bucks, big plans
Bannock County looking to have 'generational' impacts with funds from ARPA
The Bannock County Board of Commissioners will soon decide how to spend the unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime pandemic recovery funds from the federal government, and they have big ideas.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, or ARPA, provides $350 billion in additional, one-time funding for state and local governments. The money is meant to aid local governments recovery from the budgetary, economic, and financial impacts of the pandemic.

Bannock County was allocated $17,055,675 of ARPA funds, which was based on the county’s population. 

There are restrictions on how the money can be used. Funds cannot be used to relieve property taxes. With that in mind, counties and cities are tasked with finding ways to spend the money that will best benefit their taxpayers.

“We want these funds to be used in a way that will have positive, generational impacts on our community. These funds offer a unique opportunity to invest in our community and enhance our quality of life, but we have to be strategic and considerate in our actions,” Commissioner Ernie Moser said.

Commissioners Ernie Moser, Terrel Tovey, and Jeff Hough are considering several different projects to split the $17 million between. No decisions have been made yet, and all decisions will be made in the Commissioners’ regular business meetings which are open to the public online and in-person.

Below are just some of the ideas being considered.

-       Expand sewer infrastructure throughout the county to help protect groundwater and encourage development.

-       Update sewer and water infrastructure at the Bannock County Event Center to improve sanitation and avoid additional maintenance costs at the Event Center and Portneuf Wellness Complex.

-       Work with Eastern Idaho Counties and Idaho State University to create a partnership for a regional forensic pathologist at the Eames Complex. The Eastern Idaho Forensics Lab at ISU would alleviate the regular cost of sending autopsies to Ada County and would serve the entire East Idaho region.

-       Invest in broadband infrastructure to improve internet access to all county residents and businesses, unless the County is awarded funds from the Idaho Broadband Grant Program.

-       Partner with Idaho State University to support a Disaster Response Center (DRC) that would work in cooperation with Bannock County Emergency Management to serve as a training facility for first responders across the nation. The partnership at the DRC would position ISU as regional experts in the field of disaster response training, of which, Texas A&M is the only other institution specializing in this field. 
Mark Your Calendar

Feb. 4 – First Friday Art Walk in Downtown Pocatello


Feb. 5, 12, & 26 – Jr. Zookeeper Days at Zoo Idaho


Feb. 21 – Presidents' Day, Courthouse, DMV and Driver's License Division Closed
A Minute With Your Elected Official
Prepare for May 17 Primary Election with Clerk Jason Dixon
Each year as the election season approaches, I find that there is a common misunderstanding and sense of confusion about party affiliation and voting in a Primary Election in Idaho. As the elected Bannock County Clerk, I’m also your Chief Elections Officer, so I felt it my responsibility to try to clear things up...
Property Taxes: Looking to the Legislature
Contact Your Legislators:

House of Representatives:

Randy Armstrong (R)
District #28, House Seat A
208-251-8157
Kevin Andrus (R)
District #28, House Seat B
208-240-0201
Dustin Manwaring (R)
District #29, House Seat A
208-252-5295
James Ruchti (D)
District #29, House Seat B
208-251-4104

Senate:

Jim Guthrie (R)
District #28
208-254-3605
Mark Nye (D)
District #29
208-221-6109
The Idaho Legislature is now in its fourth week of the 2022 session, and the question still remains: What will be done with the historic $1.6 billion surplus?

Bannock County, along with the Idaho Association of Counties, is advocating for the following legislation, which will help reduce the property tax burden.

-       Full state funding for public defender services.
(Currently, the state only covers 25% of the overall cost of public defense in Idaho, leaving counties to cover the rest of the cost using property tax dollars.)

-       Authorization for counties to create regional public defense districts

-       Additional county representation on the Public Defense Commission

-       Full state funding for hospital and psychiatric expenses for those in the involuntary commitment process

-       Authorization for counties to establish a property tax relief fund with authority and means of funding local property tax relief

-       A tax on vape products dedicated to juvenile justice services 

As the legislative session continues, Bannock County Commissioners Ernie Moser, Terrel Tovey, and Jeff Hough encourage voters to ask their representatives to support these measures to relieve the property tax burden.
Bannock County Gems
BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
THE HARKNESS HOTEL
You don't have to travel far for a romantic getaway in the Marsh Valley: book a stay at a luxury hotel in McCammon! Opened in July 2014, the Harkness Hotel is run by the local Hunsaker family. In 2019, the Hotel was awarded the World Boutique Hotel Award for "Americas’ Most Inspired Design Hotel." The historic building, once known as the McCammon State Bank and the "Big Store Building", was originally built in 1906. The two-story building housed a large general store and McCammon's first hospital. Now, people from Southeast Idaho and around the region travel to little McCammon for a unique, luxurious stay, complete with salon and spa.
DEPARTMENT OF THE MONTH
VETERAN SERVICES
The Bannock County Veteran Services proudly serves veterans and their dependents by helping them apply for benefits they have earned by serving their country. Veteran Services helps connect veterans to local services while advocating for them as they navigate the Veteran Benefit Administration and Veteran Health Administration. You may have heard our County Veteran Service Officer, Melissa Hartman, discussing her office’s role in the community during KZBQ's Veterans Spotlight on the third Wednesday of every month. You can find the Veteran Services office at Idaho State University’s Student Union Building on the third floor inside of the Veterans Student Service Center.
Busy at Bannock County
We're always busy at Bannock County Government! Follow us on social media to see what we're up to.

Commissioner Jeff Hough is teaming up with other local leaders to speak with area high school students about their vision for the community.

Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner updated the Coroner's logo and badge to make it more unique to the county.

Our Special Projects team installed a new drop box outside the DMV and Assessor's Office, so customers can skip the line when returning documents.

Commissioner Jeff Hough and Chief of Staff Braeden Clayson completed a leadership course through the National Association of Counties.
Notable News in Bannock County

More Idahoans are working today than before the coronavirus pandemic began nearly two years ago. In fact, Idaho is one of only four states that have recaptured jobs lost in the early months of the pandemic.

Sheriff Tony Manu has made improvements to the Bannock County Jail to better care for inmates with mental health conditions, but says Idaho lacks the facilities and resources needed to prevent recidivism.

Sam Krieg of Pocatello will compete alongside 50 professional runners from around the world in the 126th Boston Marathon this April. Krieg will start the race ranked in the top 60 competitors overall and top 10 competitors over 40-years-old.

Rob Poleki, former Bannock County Clerk and inventor of Washie, a self-cleaning toilet seat, is negotiating deals with the NBA to put his product in multiple sporting arenas' restrooms across the west.

A new 67,428 square-foot Morton Buildings manufacturing plant is coming to the Gate City this year. The plant will launch with a staff of 20 to 30 employees, with expansion expected in the near future.

Community leaders' dreams of a new facility for the Pocatello Senior Activity Center are developing. The next steps are to acquire land and ramp up fundraising.

Governor Brad Little proposed opening a $12 million, 100-bed re-entry facility for the Pocatello area. If approved, the facility would help inmates who qualify connect to jobs and resources to help them succeed upon their release.

The "Pocatello's Promise of Tomorrow Mayoral Scholarship" is open for applications to area high school seniors until Feb. 25. The scholarship is aimed at helping students who do not qualify for traditional scholarships based on grades or community involvement.
Idaho's Black History
Idaho has a historically small population of Black people, but jobs at the railroad attracted Black people to Pocatello and Boise, which have since had the largest and most concentrated population of African Americans in Idaho. By 1920, Pocatello had the largest per capita Black population in the state at 2.4%. A century later, and still Idaho’s small Black communities primarily reside in the same two cities.
-Emma Iannacone,
Public Information Officer
BANNOCK COUNTY | www.bannockcounty.us