Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow! Six more weeks of winter! I can't believe it's already February. In last month’s newsletter, I explained how January kicks things off in our office, and things begin to happen quickly from here on out. 

Last week, I attended the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) Mid-Winter Legislative Conference and the Idaho Association of County Assessing Officers meeting to discuss legislative issues. The IAC conference always includes breakout sessions on being better managers and self-help, as well as classes on county government. One of our main meetings featured a motivational speaker who spoke about not allowing fear to control us. Governor Little also spoke to us on the first day. 

At the conference, we also met with our local legislators to discuss the bills they think will be introduced this year for new legislation. Several proposed bills focus on increasing property tax cuts and lowering income tax rates. There is likely to be new legislation regarding the Homeowner’s Exemption. I was hoping they would increase the amount of relief provided by the Property Tax Reduction program (a.k.a ‘Circuit Breaker’), but at this point, the legislators we spoke with do not expect that to happen this year. The Assessors shared what we would like to see happen in the legislature, but currently, none of those bills have been introduced. I will update you on any bills passed that will impact your property taxes and our office. 

In the meantime, you can track all the proposed bills on this website. It’s quite interesting to see the new bills and changes proposed to existing laws. Some laws are ones you might not even know are in legislation, while others impact you daily. I really encourage you to check it out to stay informed about what’s happening in Boise. 

Now that it’s February, we’ve sent our exemption forms to local nonprofits and reminded folks about the property tax reduction program. Speaking of which, we are hosting open houses across the county to assist people in applying for this program. The schedule of open houses is below (or click here for more information).

- Anita Hymas, Bannock County Assessor

Each year, the Assessor’s Office performs a comprehensive sales analysis to evaluate real estate trends and ensure accurate property assessments throughout the county. This analysis includes reviewing all valid property sales from the previous year, identifying patterns in market activity, and assessing factors such as price fluctuations, neighborhood growth, and demand shifts. By comparing purchase prices to assessed values, we can assess overall market appreciation or depreciation and make necessary adjustments to maintain fair and equitable property valuations. This data-driven approach not only upholds the integrity of our assessment process but also provides valuable insights for homeowners, businesses, and policymakers. Understanding these trends helps ensure that property values remain fair and reflect actual market conditions.

January flew by in the blink of an eye. We successfully launched the new Idaho Parks and Recreation computer program from Brandt. There have been bugs along the way, but the team has been diligently working through each one to provide our customers with resolutions. We appreciate our strong working relationship with the Idaho Parks and Recreation team in Boise and with our customers. This definitely helps when challenges arise during these system launches and transitions. They hope to have a few more issues resolved this month.

The Idaho Transportation Department announced that they will not hold the DMV County Leadership Conference this year and that it will now be scheduled every other year. We were disappointed by this change, as we had hoped to attend and bring home another award for Bannock County. But we’re looking forward to the 2026 conference; they promised it will be bigger and better than ever. This will give us plenty of time to implement innovations, provide excellent customer service, and strive to exceed expectations to bring home some more hardware that showcases the amazing DMV staff we have in our county.

The office is getting more updates, so keep an eye out for work through February. It’s been amazing to watch the construction processes updating our county buildings. It is great to be a part of an organization that cares about its employees, facilities, and patrons!

A quick update about the construction at the courthouse and Elections Office: 

• We now anticipate opening the courthouse ADA entrance in May.

• Work is nearly complete. Final touches to the new additions are happening now, including new signage. When the weather warms, we will complete the landscaping. The final step is to install the upgraded security measures, which will begin in mid-April. 

We all sincerely appreciate your patience navigating the construction as you visit our campus.

There are numerous housing resources and financial support programs available for qualifying renters and landlords in Bannock County and throughout Idaho. Support is available NOW, so please check out the resources below.

Certain properties and property owners may be eligible to reduce what they owe on property taxes.

The Homeowner Assistance Fund helps eligible Idaho homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments or other housing-related expenses because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

USDA Rural Development operates over fifty financial assistance programs for a variety of rural applications.

SEICAA Housing programs offer both affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities throughout southeast Idaho.

findhelpidaho.org connects Idahoans seeking help with resources in their local community. It's free, confidential, easy to use, and provides up-to-date information in more than 100 languages.

www.bannockcounty.gov