Tax Increases and Government Waste

Such things are certain in life

If you live in Boise or Meridian, I have bad news for you: your property taxes are going up. Last week, Boise City Council approved a new budget that takes the maximum 3% property tax increase as well as $1.8 million in foregone taxes — increases that the city didn’t take in the past but reserved for the future. The council voted unanimously for the 3% increase, though Council Member Luci Willits voted against taking the foregone. According to BoiseDev, this will increase the average property tax bill by around $58. Boise’s total budget for the next fiscal year will be $549.1 million.

Meridian leaders must have thought increasing taxes was a great idea, because they voted the same way. That city’s proposed budget of $256 million will be the subject of public comment next month. Mayor Robert Simison proposed the maximum 3% increase plus an additional 1% of foregone taxes and the council agreed by a 4-2 vote. Council Members Luke Cavener and Doug Taylor voted against these tax hikes.

Mayor Simison fired rhetorical shots at House Speaker Mike Moyle in his State of the City Address, claiming that Moyle’s House Bill 389 from 2021 hamstrings cities with regards to raising enough taxes to pay for everything they want to do. Moyle responded last week with an editorial in the Idaho Statesman slamming Simison for wanting to spend too much money.

My hometown of Eagle will hold its budget hearing on August 13. The council proposed a budget last week that does not increase taxes at all, which makes me happy to live here.

Ada County split the difference, calling for a 1.8% tax increase while using $35 million in savings to balance the budget.

In the meantime, Idaho Ed News reports that the University of Idaho has already spent $14.2 million in its quixotic chase to acquire the University of Phoenix. Recall that the board of regents and the State Board of Education agreed to spend $550 million to acquire the online for-profit school. However, the Attorney General sued over an alleged violation of the open meetings law and the Legislature used its power to slow the purchase, if not halt it entirely.

University of Idaho president C. Scott Green attempted to take matters into his own hands by donating money to candidates who would presumably support the purchase. Of the eleven candidates who benefited from Green’s largesse, only four survived the May primary, which suggests that the purchase will face even more resistance in the next legislative session.

According to Idaho Ed News, University of Idaho officials have been spending money on various firms involved in the purchase and its associated litigation under the assumption that a successful outcome will cover all costs. Rep. Wendy Horman, co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is skeptical: “It makes me wonder where they’re getting all this money.”

What do these stories have in common? They all show how easy it is for elected officials to spend your money. I like to think that most people who go into politics do so with the best of intentions, and many run for office on a platform of fiscal responsibility. However, once in office it becomes incredibly easy to justify spending projects and tax increases. Every penny justified with “good reasons”.

My friends at the Idaho Freedom Foundation are bringing back the Idaho Pork Report, an examination of the most wasteful ways in which government spends your money. In this era of culture wars, social issues, and political upheavals, it is easy to forget that the most direct way in which elected officials impact our lives is through taxing and spending. It’s also one of the easiest ways for citizens to get involved. Talk to your mayor and council members, attend council meetings, remind your representatives of the increasing costs of living and help them prioritize their spending. Cities and counties spend tax dollars on the things that make people want to live here in the first place, but not everything can be the top priority.

Remember:it’s your money, so it’s up to you to protect it.