Nampa wanted federal money for property tax relief. Then it didn’t. Council flips — again
When Gov. Brad Little offered local governments some of the $1.25 billion the state received in federal coronavirus relief money, several cities took him up on it.
In exchange, a city or county had to agree to a 0% property tax increase for the 2021 fiscal year — even though local governments are allowed to raise their property tax revenue by up to 3% each year. If they capped their property taxes, the state said it would help cover their public safety budgets.
Last week, Nampa, Caldwell and Canyon County voted to turn the money down — citing concerns that the federal money was authorized only for mitigating the COVID-19 emergency and was not meant to go toward public safety budgets. Nampa and Caldwell cited concerns over liability in the case of an eventual audit.
This week, the Nampa City Council reversed its decision — again.
The reason, it said, was because the city had received further guidance from the Treasury Department and the Office of the Inspector General.
“The new information, which was published earlier this week, addressed the concerns initially expressed related to the acceptance of these funds,” said Mayor Debbie Kling in a news release. “I am pleased the Nampa City Council action will result in a one-year property tax savings for our citizens.”
The council voted 3-2 in favor of taking the federal funds. The city anticipates it will receive $9.2 million through the program.
Meanwhile, the Caldwell City Council and the Canyon County Commissioners both met again to consider whether to take the governor’s funds. Both decided to stick with their decision and turn the money down.
Boise, Meridian and Ada County are also participating in the program. The average Boise homeowner will save more than $200 on their property tax bill through the program, the Statesman previously reported.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 1:54 PM.
