IAC Releases 2026 Legislative Priorities and Platform

The Idaho Association of Counties Legislative Committee recently convened to prioritize legislative and policy resolutions adopted by the IAC membership. The IAC Legislative Committee reviewed a wide range of resolutions, many related to funding vital county services. Ultimately, the committee settled on four priorities:

• Increase Fiscal Transparency and Accountability – Partner with the Idaho Legislature to provide full transparency of the costs of county services required by the state, including providing non-property tax revenue sources for any future state-mandated county services. Included within this priority is advocating for increasing the rate the state pays to reimburse counties for state inmates in county jails, giving public health districts the authority to set food inspection fees on local costs of providing the service, adjusting electronic recording fees to reflect the costs of electronic recording, and increasing grant funding available for transitioning to next generation e911.
• Diversify County Revenues – Identify alternative county revenue sources, including a lodging tax imposed on tourists and leveraging local sales tax collections to fund county infrastructure, to reduce overall reliance on property taxes and stop the trickle-down tax shift to homeowners, farmers, and small businesses. 
• Strengthen Local Choices in Federal Land Use Decisions – Amplify the voice of counties in federal land use decision-making by codifying the standing of county commissioners as local land use experts.
• Enhance Public Transparency – Increase transparency by giving counties the option to legally publish notices on their websites, providing free public notice of county actions instead of requiring publication in newspapers with declining circulation. 

IAC staff are developing a messaging toolkit that will be released to the members prior to the 2026 Legislative Session kicking off. The toolkit will include infographics, press releases, social media posts, and data in support of IAC’s priorities. The toolkit will be designed to assist IAC members in advocating for IAC’s legislative priorities. Stay tuned for these resources and additional information as the Session approaches. For now, members can use this handout and the 2026 IAC Legislative Priorities and Platform to learn more about IAC’s 2026 legislative priorities.