Gov. Butch Otter and other state leaders are calling for a "meeting of the minds" after state highway officials named six road projects worth about $100 million - none in the Treasure Valley - as Idaho's top priorities should the state receive federal stimulus money.

Otter's biggest problem with the decision: The Idaho Transportation Board passed over an aging North Idaho bridge to more evenly spread money around the state.

"I disagree with that philosophy," Otter said Thursday. "I think the money should go, No. 1, where we are having accidents, where we are killing people."

Otter said his second priority is easing traffic congestion. But the Transportation Board's list includes no projects in the state's two most populous areas - the Treasure Valley and the Panhandle, together home to 58 percent of the state's population.

Otter's office, meanwhile, has put together a stimulus wish list of $2.4 billion - including $1.3 billion in transportation needs - to give to the new administration. The projects include everything from prison improvements to dam repairs to new transmission and communication lines.

But as Idaho and every other state wait to see how much money President-elect Barack Obama and the new Congress will offer - and how they will want it spent - leaders here have yet to speak with a unified voice.

"Everybody needs to get on the same page," said Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John McGee, R-Caldwell. "I agree with the governor. This doesn't seem like an equitable decision."

McGee said he was surprised that the Treasure Valley area was left out - even though most of the Connecting Idaho projects have been along Interstate 84.

"This area has the most traffic congestion of any area in the state," McGee said. "It has the greatest need."

The ITD has identified 126 "shovel-ready" projects totaling $805 million, but as the board members whittled a staff-chosen shortlist of eight projects down to six worth about $100 million, they passed over a plan to rebuild the Dover bridge on U.S. 2 in North Idaho.

ITD staff had ranked the bridge the top unmet priority in the state, and it has been characterized as the worst bridge in the state. On Thursday, Otter said it is "about ready to fall down."

The board also decided to kick off the shortlist the only Treasure Valley project, I-84's Vista interchange, because it could be paid for with bonds issued via the Connecting Idaho program.

That $998 million highway plan, first championed by former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, is funded by Grant Anticipation Revenue, or GARVEE, bonds. These bonds let states borrow money for expensive projects and pay it off with some of their annual federal highway funds.

So far, the ITD has issued $392 million in bonds.

But now, some are questioning whether Idaho should still be borrowing money to pay for projects that could otherwise be funded with the stimulus.

"Getting us out of debt is a good idea," Otter said - but he wasn't sure whether Idaho would be allowed to use the stimulus to repay the money.

But some think that some of the stimulus money could be used to fund projects for which bonds have not yet been issued.

"I thought it was shortsighted to pull GARVEE projects from consideration for the stimulus package," said Matt Stoll, executive director of COMPASS, the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the Treasure Valley. "The GARVEE projects are shovel-ready, and it would alleviate future debt for the state and create jobs."

Cynthia Sewell: 377-6428