Thank You to this Week's Sponsor
Click logo to find out more about Unique Paving
|
|
Maintaining Idaho Roads and Bridges
Track Bills That Make a Difference
|
|
|
|
|
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding limitations on taxing district budgets |
|
|
|
|
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding professional service contracts. |
|
|
|
|
Amends and adds to existing law to provide for the electronic publication of public notices by a governmental entity on the entity’s website. |
|
|
|
|
Adds to existing law to provide for the protection of certain monuments and memorials. |
|
Keep it Local Idaho Group Releases Educational Property Tax Doodly |
|
Several local public entities have collaborated to create a number of fun informational videos that they have been sharing with legislators. The Doodly style videos explain about Idaho's growth, the impact of new construction and property taxes.
The group includes the Idaho Association of Counties, Association of Cities, Idaho School Boards Association and the Idaho Association of Highway Districts.
They are encouraging people to share these videos and to reach out to your legislators.
|
|
Uniform Accounting and Financial Transparency |
|
On Tuesday, HB 73 was printed and sent to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. This legislation amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to provide for a uniform system of accounting and financial transparency from local governmental entities and education providers.
It's a very long bill at 25 pages and has lot's of strike outs and additions that affect many sections of Idaho code. It is one of the tax recommendations that came out of the legislative interim study group this last summer.
In part, the legislation will provide for the uniform accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting procedures for counties, cities, urban renewal agencies, and all other local districts.
The purpose of the legislation is to enable local governmental entities and the state controller’s office to provide comparable data by the use of uniform accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting procedures.
It also creates the Committee on Uniform Accounting and Transparency for Local Governmental Entities. The committee’s primary duty and responsibility will be to cooperatively develop, approve, monitor, and revise, the uniform accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting system, and manual, for local governmental agencies. This committee would add four additional jobs and cost the state over $1.5 million per year for an estimated savings to taxpayers of between $2 million and $200 million.
|
|
Protection of Monuments and Memorials |
|
On Monday HB 65 was printed and sent to House State Affairs. The legislation adds to existing law to provide for the protection of certain monuments and memorials. To be specific it adds a new section to Chapter 1, Title 73, Idaho Code.
According to the Statement of Purpose, no monument or memorial erected on State property may be relocated, removed, disturbed, or altered without approval of the Idaho Legislature by way of a Concurrent Resolution.
The legislation also preserves the names of historic figures and historic events memorialized in or dedicated to public schools, streets, bridges, structures, parks, preserves, or other public areas of the State or any of its political subdivisions that were in place prior to July 1, 2021.
On Wednesday, Rep. Okuniewicz, offered a new version of the bill, that adds an exception for instances in which there’s just a construction project or necessary relocation going on, not a renaming. The Committee voted to send the legislation to the full House for debate
The Idaho Association of Highway Districts remains neutral on this legislation at this time.
|
|
Update on HB 53
Posting of Public Notices
|
|
On Thursday, the House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on HB 53 that amends and adds to existing law to provide for the electronic publication of public notices by a governmental entity on the entity’s website.
Testimony was split between newspapers and building contractors opposed to the legislation and cities, counties and highway districts that were in favor of the legislation.
The bill passed committee with a Do Pass recommendation and is headed to the House floor for debate.
|
|
Legislative Priorities with Leadership and Governor Little |
|
On Tuesday the Idaho Association of Counties held two separate webinars focusing on legislative priorities.
The first webinar was with Speaker of the House Scott Bedke and President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder. Speaker Bedke highlighted his priorities as balance of power between branches of government, infrastructure, taxpayer relief and education. Pro Tem Winder spoke to education, transportation, health and welfare issues and property and income tax relief.
The second webinar was with Governor Brad Little. This webinar immediately followed his announcement of moving Idaho into stage three of pandemic recovery, so much of the time was spent on that. The Governor did talk about putting the 5% cut back from last year into his Building Idaho's future plan.
You can watch both webinars here. You may have to register to view them.
|
|
Office of Performance Evaluation Releases County Revenues Study |
|
From the OPE Executive Summary:
In 2019 Idaho led the country in population growth and housing price increases according to data from the US Census Bureau and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. With this growth has come a tension among county-elected officials who want to serve their communities and pay for increasing demands for service, property owners who are concerned with steep annual increases in property taxes, and state policymakers who want to foster economic growth and ease the tax burden.
To assist legislators in balancing these interests, requesters of this evaluation asked for the following information:
1. Overall revenue picture and funding sources for counties
2. Historical impact of levies and property tax exemptions on county budgets 3. Impact of state and federally owned land on county budgets
The evaluation was designed to use available data sources to address this request. OPE limited their analysis to county governments, including county road and bridge funds as overseen by the Board of County Commissioners. They did not include special taxing districts. They also focused their analysis on county revenues. They did not evaluate whether revenues were sufficient to meet the long-term needs of counties to accommodate population growth.
|
|
LHTAC Releases Their 2020 Annual Report |
|
The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) has released their 2020 Annual Report.
According to the report LHTAC currently serves 288 Local Highway Jurisdictions with road ownership in Idaho.
Their mission is to advocate, support and train the local highway jurisdictions while providing the most efficient assistance to all local jurisdictions in Idaho. They administer a number of state and federal funds for highway projects.
Take a look at their annual report for more details on their accomplishments in 2020.
|
|
ITD and Law Enforcement Agencies Partner
to Prevent Aggressive Driving
|
|
From an ITD Press Release.
The Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and more than 50 law enforcement agencies across the state are teaming up to keep Idaho roads safe. February 1-15, officers will be on the roads looking for aggressive drivers.
Aggressive driving is a contributing factor in half of all crashes in Idaho. According to preliminary data, aggressive driving was a factor in 78 fatal crashes in the state during 2020.
“Aggressive driving crashes don’t happen by accident,” said OHS Manager John Tomlinson. “Someone made that choice. We all have the power to help prevent crashes by deciding to slow down and have patience behind the wheel.”
Aggressive driving happens when a driver operates a vehicle in a way that endangers other people or property on the roads. It’s a series of behaviors that includes speeding, following another driver too closely, weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights, and ignoring other traffic signs.
As winter weather impacts the area, officers will also be watching for those driving too fast for the conditions. When roads are slick, leave more space between you and the vehicle ahead to give yourself plenty of stopping room. Take extra caution while passing.
“Each driver has the responsibility to stay aware and engaged any time they get behind the wheel. Together we can save lives, if we make the choice to drive well,” Tomlinson said.
|
|
House Transportation Committee |
|
Senate Transportation Committee |
|
How to Contact Your Legislator |
|
There are several ways to contact your legislator.
Click the button to find out who your representative is. It's easy, just put in your address.
|
|
Send them an email directly, or contact the Legislative Information Center. They will take a message to your legislator.
E-mail must contain the sender’s name and address. To help us forward your message appropriately, please include your legislator’s name and/or legislative district.
Phone Numbers: (session only)
Hearing Impaired: 800-626-0471
|
|
- February 18, 2021 IAHD Day at the Capitol
- November 9-11, 2021 Idaho's Local Transportation Conference-Coeur d'Alene
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
