Idaho Falls budget divides public on the issues - East Idaho News
Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls budget divides public on the issues

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IDAHO FALLS — Some people aren’t happy about a proposed city budget that would raise property taxes by 3 percent.

In a letter to residents, Mayor Rebecca Casper said the city hasn’t seen many tax increases in the past few years, and there’s a reason for that.

“During this period, the city operated with a pay-as-you go philosophy, and city leaders deferred maintenance to save money and ease the tax burden during the recession,” she said. “But time takes its toll, and the city’s aging infrastructure is begging for care. This combined with other forces has easily overwhelmed the operating budget. These other forces include the rising costs of technology, cybersecurity needs, insurance costs, declining state and federal funds, city growth, and the need for more public safety personnel.”

The levy would generate $827,270. Under the budget, city spending would rise to a record $448 million, a $2 million increase from the previous year.

Three departments that stand to receive significant increases are:

  • Police: Increase of $770,000 to over $13 million.
  • Fire Department: Increase of $600,000 to nearly $13 million, which includes a new fire station to replace the old one built in the 1930s.
  • Parks and Recreation: Increase of almost a quarter million dollars to $8 million.

These items got support individually at a public hearing Thursday, Sept 3 but opinions were split on passing the bill itself. It was standing room only at the hearing, about 100 people showed up to give commentary on the budget.

A total of 13 people spoke in favor of the budget, 10 spoke against it and one neutral weighed in. Seven people spoke out against fee increases.

Idaho Falls resident Dina Lowery encouraged the council to pass the budget saying the cost of the increase was “less than a bad bottle of wine.”

John Fletcher agreed, calling the tax increase “reasonable and prudent.”

However, not everyone believed the costs were reasonable. One of the issues discussed was the impact an increase would have on rental properties.

Charlie Just, a downtown property owner, said his rent was down 40 percent from 25 years ago.

Bob Dunkley, also a commercial property owner, said, “Since 2008 we’ve dropped 30 percent on our income off of our buildings and the vacancies are way up.”

Dunkley said the growth in the city was spotty and that areas like downtown, Skyline Drive and north Idaho Falls aren’t doing nearly as well.

“There’s just a lot of us who have taken a big hit, and it hasn’t come back since 2007 when it hit its peak,” Dunkley said.

Carrie Scheid, who owns townhouses in Idaho Falls, said her business has done very well in rentals.

“We feel, even without the homeowners exemption, the extra $210 we have to pay a year is well worth it for the living we’re making and for the quality of life we have here that attracts people,” Scheid said.

In addition to the budget, Idaho Falls residents also weighed in on fee increases during a separate hearing prior the budget hearing.

A major contention with the new fees in the proposed budget regarded upping prices at the Joe Marmo/Wayne Lehto Ice Arena, including increasing practice fees by 43 percent. Bill Combo with the Idaho Falls Youth Hockey Association said the league had already begun registration and couldn’t absorb the increase.

But not just hockey enthusiasts would be affected. Mathew Graham, an 18 year-old figure skater, said that much of an increase could destroy the figure skating program.

“I had such an amazing run with my figure skating. I was able to really take that journey of coming from such a small child with a dream to really fulfilling a large part of that dream, and I want everybody to be able to feel that,” said Graham, a four-time national figure skating qualifier.

The final budget ordinance, including the fee increases, is scheduled to be adopted at a City Council work session at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in Council Chambers.

Click here to learn more about the proposed budget.

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