IAC’S BLOG

The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) hosted its annual bus tour earlier this week in Kellogg, Idaho. The yearly event rotates visiting a different district in the state each year. Local officials, design engineers, and contractors get to share with the council about the various projects toured. LHTAC council members Benewah County Commissioner Phil Lampert and Madison County Commissioner Todd Smith attended, representing the counties. The District 1 tour kicked off in Wallace, Idaho, with a complex bridge project connecting…

  IT Leaders gathered at the Idaho Local Government Center in Boise for their fall meeting on September 5, 2024. Attendees kicked off the event with a discussion on the 2024 Idaho Digital Government Summit that took place on September 4th at the Boise Centre and focused largely on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. IT staff then heard from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) with presenters Lisa McClellan, administrator, and Bill Finke, modernization program manager, both of the Department of Motor Vehicles…

According to the IAC Bylaws and the rotation schedule for elections, an assessor is eligible to run as the IAC 2nd Vice President for the upcoming year (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025). Each candidate completed an application so they could share a little about themselves and why they are interested in the position. Candidates will also have a few minutes to speak at our IAC Annual Business meeting in September and voting will take place during the conference.  …

  Staff members from state associations throughout the West traveled to Boise for the annual Western States Staff Meet-Up, held August 26-28 this year. The Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) had the great privilege of hosting this event and showing attendees around downtown Boise, touring Idaho’s State Capitol Building, and curating a panel of speakers in the Idaho Local Government Center to share insight into each of their organizations and collaboration efforts.  Twenty-three staff members from the Nevada Association of Counties…

By Jessica Roach, Jefferson County Assessor  The Idaho Association of County Assessors (IACA) met for their annual conference in beautiful McCall, Idaho, from August 20-22, 2024 at the Evergreen Hotel. Stacy Swift, Adams County Assessor and IACA President, together with the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC), did an amazing job planning the conference. The event was attended by assessors from all over the state along with the Idaho State Tax Commission (ISTC) – Property Tax Division, Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) –…

The Idaho Association of County Recorders and Clerks (IACRC) gathered in Burley, Idaho on August 13-15 for their 2024 Annual Conference. The conference was held at the Best Western Burley Inn Convention Center where attendees discussed budgets, upcoming elections, recording, and general updates. The conference kicked off with Secretary of State Phil McGrane speaking on the upcoming November elections and the 2025 Elections Conference this January. McGrane also shared his office’s plans to continue providing a series of regional trainings twice…

By Dawn Erlewine, Clearwater County Treasurer  The Idaho Association of County Treasurers (IACT) met for their Annual Conference in Pocatello, Idaho, August 5-8, 2024. The 99th conference was hosted by county treasurers in District 5, including Jennifer Clark of Bannock County, Tricia Poulsen of Bear Lake County, Tanna Beal of Bingham County, Angie Mendenhall of Caribou County, Janet Kimpton of Franklin County, Leigh Anne Love of Oneida County, and Deanna Curry of Power County. District 5 was a gracious host, and…

By Dawn Erlewine, Clearwater County Treasurer The Idaho Association of County Treasurers (IACT) was well represented at the 2024 National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers & Finance Officers (NACCTFO) conference in Tampa, Florida. The mentoring opportunities and insights into how other states’ county governments operate were enlightening. Valuable education topics included “Cybersecurity”, “Nuts & Bolts of Tax Administration”, “Work Life Balance as a Retention Strategy”, “Artificial Intelligence”, and “ChatGPT”.  IACT members in attendance were Amber Sloan, Elmore County Treasurer, NACCTFO director,…

Community members to benefit from enhanced services By Ada County Coroner Richard Riffle and IAC Communications Specialist Gracee Gorrell Ada County Coroner’s Office is pleased to have taken occupancy of its new facility at 95 N. Touchmark Way in Meridian, Idaho. This state-of-the-art facility offers services not only to the citizens of Ada County but to over 30 counties in Idaho, and on occasion, agencies in Eastern Oregon. This week, the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) staff toured the new facility…

The IAC District 5 meeting was held on Thursday, August 1, 2024 in Franklin County. Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Hough, who serves as Chairman for District 5, called the meeting to order followed by the pledge of allegiance.  The first item on the agenda was the approval of the previous July meeting minutes and the treasurer’s report. Les Patterson from Red Edge Mentoring followed with a presentation on Intentional Leadership that covered how to clarify what matters most as you lead…

By Kathy Ackerman, Idaho County Clerk & NACo Board Representative The 2024 National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference & Exposition was held in Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida, July 12-15. Idaho was well-represented by attendees John David Davidson (IAC 1st VP), Kathy Ackerman (NACo Board Representative), Skip Brandt (WIR Board Representative), Custer County Commissioner Steve Smith, Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Hough, Carol Moehrle (National Public Health Representative to the NACo Board), and IAC staff members Seth Grigg, Kelli Brassfield, Sara Westbrook, and…

Do you have a policy issue that is feasible, doesn’t create an unfunded mandate, affects more than one county, affects more than one county office, and needs a change in statute? If the answer is yes, then we encourage you to submit an IAC Legislative Resolution for consideration at the IAC Annual Conference: 2025 Proposed Legislative Resolution template. If you have an issue that does not require a change in statute and would like to see it become part of the 2025…

By Ramón S. Hobdey-Sánchez, J.D. State Broadband Program Manager The Idaho Office of Broadband (IOB) is excited to announce the opening of the next phase of the State’s BEAD Challenge Process. The Rebuttal Phase will begin Friday, July 19, 2024. Link Up Idaho has multiple resources and tools to assist stakeholders with navigating this process and phase. Over the last several weeks, submitted challenges have been reviewed for completeness and compliance. By the end of next week, they will be uploaded for…

The IAC District 2 meeting was held on July 10th in Idaho County. The meeting began with a guided tour of the Grangeville Mill facilitated by the Idaho Forest Group. Attendees enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at how the mill functions and learned about its daily operations. Following the tour, members traveled to the Idaho County Search and Rescue Building where Nez Perce County Treasurer Missy McLaughlin, called the meeting to order followed by the pledge of allegiance. The first item on…

By Bert Heslington, ISA President  Thursday, June 27, 2024, was a very proud and historical evening for the state of Idaho, the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) and Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. Throughout that week, the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) held their Annual Conference and Presidential Banquet in Oklahoma City, OK. During the inauguration ceremony, Sheriff Donahue was sworn in as the 84th President of the National Sheriffs’ Association. This is the first time that a sheriff from the state of…

The Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) has named the 2024 recipients of the IAC Scholarship. After a competitive review process, seven students from across the state of Idaho were selected from a pool of 45 applicants to each receive a $1,000 scholarship from the IAC Scholarship Fund. Award Recipients: – Eloise Shelton, Senior, Clark Fork High School, District 1; – Gretchen Stokes, Senior, Deary High School, District 2; – Rhianna Iveson, Senior, Council High School, District 3; – Makaya Boyer, Freshman,…

By Megan Jahns, ITD Communication The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is seeking feedback on the just-released draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). The ITIP outlines the state’s transportation priorities and guides investment decisions for the next seven years through 2031. ITD encourages everyone to review the draft and provide comments July 1-31. Transportation projects included in the draft ITIP range from large-scale interstate improvements to smaller projects like the installation of new guardrail. Projects are located throughout Idaho’s 44 counties and…

  We are thrilled to announce the addition of IAC’s new full-time Events Coordinator, Savannah Renslow! Savannah brings a wealth of experience to the association, having served as the Communications Director for the Idaho Association of Highway Districts for the past six years and earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science from Boise State University. An Idaho native, Savannah is passionate about her community and local government and will undoubtedly make a tremendous impact on Idaho’s counties in…

The Idaho Association of Commissioners and Clerks (IACC) gathered for their 2024 Annual Conference in Idaho Falls. The three-day event began on Tuesday, June 4th and kicked off with IACC President Denis Duman addressing the group and leading them through the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation. Bonneville County Commissioner Bryon Reed concluded introductions by welcoming the group to Bonneville County. The first day offered commissioners and clerks two workshops that afforded credits as part of IAC’s County Officials Institute (COI). “Crisis…

The Idaho Association of Commissioners and Clerks (IACC) met in Idaho Falls this week for their Annual Conference. During the event, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Idaho State Controller Brandon Woolf, and Idaho State Treasurer Julie Ellsworth met with county clerks to canvass election results for the 2024 Idaho Primary Election. The purpose of the canvass is to officially account for every ballot cast to ensure that every vote is counted correctly. Idaho counties that participated in the post-election audit…