What to Watch: Week of February 7
Idaho Legislature Full Steam Ahead The 2022 Legislative Session started out slowly, but the pace is quickening rapidly. This week, we encourage IAC members to watch the House and Senate Committee hearings, keeping an eye out for legislation affecting counties. Some of the legislation being heard includes IAC sponsored legislation. For example, yesterday, House Bill …
What to Watch For: Jan. 31 – Feb. 4
Proposed Changes to Circuit Breaker Eligibility Last year, House Bill 389 changed the Property Tax Relief (PTR) eligibility requirements by adding restrictions that disallow residents from qualifying if their homes are valued over 125% of the median residential property value of the county. With this change, many previous qualifiers are no longer eligible. House Bill …
What to Watch For: January 24-28
Governor’s Transportation Budget to Be Heard Soon The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee will likely hold hearings on Governor Little’s transportation budget either the first or second week of February. This means transportation funding will likely be top of mind during our Midwinter Legislative Conference. Governor Little is championing historic investments in transportation without raising …
Educational Property Tax Symposium Brings National Experts to Boise
The Idaho Association of County Assessors (IACA), Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) and Associated Taxpayers of Idaho (ATI) came together to co-host and sponsor an educational event on property taxes to kick off the legislative session in downtown Boise. Several legislators, county and city officials and business and industry folks participated in the event both …
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Summary of Gov. Little’s State of the State Address and How It May Impact Counties
Governor Brad Little proposes big investments in transportation and education alongside tax cuts. The proposed budget would pay off state building debt and bolster rainy-day funds by adding more than $1 billion to the bank. It would also aim to spend $1.1 billion over the next five years on Idaho education. The Governor also proposed …
2022 IAC Legislative Priorities
Property tax continues to be a hot button issue across the state. The IAC Legislative Committee recognizes there are only two ways to provide property tax relief to homeowners: First, expand property tax exemptions for homeowners which results in a property tax shift to businesses and farms. Second, provide other non-property tax revenue sources in …
Want Flexibility on ARPA Spending? Contact Your Congressman
In late October, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act (S. 3011/H.R. 5735). It was introduced to the House on November 1 but has not seen further movement since. Many counties have struggled when determining how to use these funds based on the …
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Potential Federal Funding Sources for Idaho Counties
In light of new legislation being enacted such as the bi-partisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) along with more seasoned programs like the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Idaho counties have several opportunities to obtain federal funding. Read on for more details on these potential funding sources and additional resources for counties. American Rescue …
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Help Steer IAC Policies in the Right Direction: Join a Committee
It’s that time when county elected officials can choose to participate in IAC steering committees for the coming year. IAC members should have received an email with an invitation to sign up for up to two of the groups. Those currently serving on committees who would like to remain on theirs or select new ones …
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Idaho Redistricting Commissioners Hit the Road
The Idaho Redistricting Commission just finished its second week of redistricting meetings. During the first meeting, Bart Davis, former U.S. Attorney and former Senate Majority leader, and Dan Schmidt, former Latah County Coroner and Senator, were selected as the co-chairs of the committee. The redistricting commissioners received in-depth training regarding how to use the mapping …
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