Monthly Archives: July 2009


The State of Idaho is divided into seven separate health districts. The Central District Health Department (CDHD) serves Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley Counties. We (Ada County taxpayers, to be more specific) provide funding to CDHD according to a per capita formula delineated in Idaho Code. Ada County’s contribution in […]

Public Health Update


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Boise City’s Urban Renewal Agency, Capital City Development Corporation, has been involved in both the failed Ada County Courthouse financing scheme as well as the failed $136 million University Place fiasco. Idaho Code allows cities and counties to form Urban Renewal Agencies. One or more urban renewal districts are then […]

Urban Renewal Run Amuck




Since I am now on the county side of the table and wasn’t in the audience to testify, the Ada County budget hearing was remarkably short! No one from the audience of mostly department heads and other county employees testified. Thanks in large part to Ada County Clerk Dave Navarro […]

Hearing Silence


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Boise Mayor Dave Bieter has successfully pushed the concept of a downtown Boise streetcar, consisting of 2.6 miles of in-ground rails, with a total project cost of about $60 million for just this first phase. He hasn’t gotten the project very far, yet, though. On Monday, members of the Community […]

$60 Million Streetcar to Nowhere!


If you are interested in the Ada County budget, your property tax bill and where your public dollars are spent, we want to hear what you think. Please join us on Tuesday, July 21 at 6 p.m. in the first floor hearing room of the Ada County Courthouse at 200 […]

Do You Have an Opinion?



I just saw today that on July 10, a southwest Idaho firefighter suffered severe burns from a gasoline explosion while fighting wildfires in Alaska. Todd Wanner is a 28-year-old member of the Idaho City Hotshot fire fighting crew. Our thoughts and prayers from Ada County to Todd for a full […]

Idaho City Hotshot Burned


Protecting public health and safety is among the most important duties of government at all levels. At the county level, that largely means emergency services. I am pleased with recent progress in promoting a cooperative working relationship between Ada County Paramedics and the various fire departments and agencies. I attend […]

Progress


On Wednesday, the Valley Regional Transit (VRT) Board voted against consolidating with the Community Planning Association (COMPASS). I was the only VRT Board member to vote the other way. It would make sense to consolidate these two closely-related agencies. VRT is responsible for the bus system and COMPASS does transportation […]

COMPASS Consolidation Proposal Comes to a Close



An alert Ada County Pest Control employee noticed what he thought was a noxious weed, while he was out making his rounds. Unfortunately, it turns out he was correct. The aggressive, noxious weed was Dyer’s Woad, which causes woes for Weed Departments, farmers and potentially, taxpayers. Crop losses in areas […]

Woad Weed Woes