From the Executive Director: Week of January 16, 2023

Legislative Session Off to Slow Start The 2023 Legislative Session is off to a slow start. This shouldn’t be a surprise given the massive turnover, changes in committee chairs, and changes in leadership. To date, only six legislative bills have been introduced. The Legislature has also been slow to take up rules while committees like …

What to Watch: Week of January 16

This Friday, the IAC Policy Staff will be kicking off our weekly IAC Legislative Policy Updates. This meeting is for county elected officials only. We will meet via Zoom at 10 a.m. PST / 11 a.m. MST. Expect an update on the 2023 IAC Legislative Package, including priorities and policies. We also plan to provide …

Idaho Broadband Fund Grants

On January 11, 2023, the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board made a motion to organize project submissions based on the 4 elements identified below. Applicants now have the opportunity to clarify this information within their proposal if it is not already clearly stated. Information is being requested based on the Board’s motion to better understand and …

Gov. Little Proposes $120M in Property Tax Relief During State of the State

Governor Brad Little gave his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Idaho Legislature. During the speech, the Governor rolled out the “Idaho First” plan. The plan includes support for schools, property tax relief, and a new strategy to fight fentanyl. Property tax relief and continued investments in transportation infrastructure …

From the Executive Director: Week of January 9, 2023

Legislature Convenes with a Focus on Property Taxes As the 67th Idaho Legislature convenes in Boise, property tax relief will quickly come into focus. Some legislators, like Representative Bruce Skaug (Dist. 10, Canyon and Ada Counties) and Senator Scott Grow (Dist. 14, Ada and Gem Counties) have been working with county officials on solutions to …

New FCC Broadband Map: Submit Accuracy Challenges Today

If you have been tracking broadband at the federal level, you may have heard that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released the latest Broadband mapping. With that release comes the opportunity for Idahoans to increase the accuracy of the map. Accuracy is critical because the map will aid in determining the allocation of the …

2022 ISA & IJAA Annual Conference Recap

The Idaho Sheriffs Association (ISA) and the Idaho Jail Administrators Association (IJAA) gathered at the Riverside Hotel this December for the 2022 ISA & IJAA Annual Conference. The three-day event, held from December 13 – 15, featured opening remarks from Governor Brad Little, as well as presentations from keynote speakers on leadership, concerns of police …

IAC Launches New Mentorship Program for Idaho’s County Elected Officials

IAC is excited to announce the launch of its new mentorship program designed as a resource for Idaho’s county elected officials. The IAC Mentoring Program is a one-year commitment that offers the opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship between experienced county elected officials (mentors) and newly elected officials (mentees). County government is complex, and newly …

2022 Fall County Officials Institute Recap

The 2022 Fall County Officials Institute (COI) has wrapped just in time for newly elected county officials to take office and for the legislative session to begin. The training spanned two days this year and was held in three locations around the state from November to December. The training, facilitated by the Idaho Association of …

Idaho County Clerk Travels to Illinois for Fall NACo Board Meeting

By Kathy Ackerman, Idaho County Clerk The Fall National Association of Counties (NACo) Board Meeting and Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) Symposium was held just outside of Chicago from December 1-3. Since there are no counties in Idaho large enough to be included in LUCC, it is important for Idaho to be represented on the …