This Canyon County official filed for bankruptcy with her husband. She seeks reelection
A Canyon County commissioner and her husband filed for bankruptcy two years ago as they faced $12.7 million in personal and business debt and $100,000 in unpaid taxes, according to a bankruptcy they filed in Washington.
Commissioner Pam White and her husband, Steve White, filed for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2020 in the Eastern District of Washington, where documents in the case say they owned businesses and Steve White made his primary residence.
White is seeking to retain her seat in the November election for a two-year term. She is running against Victor Holliday and Zach Brooks in the Republican primary election on Tuesday, May 17.
She did not return a phone message requesting comment.
For the Statesman’s upcoming Voter Guide to the May primary, the newspaper asked candidates if they had any current or past bankruptcies. White did not say yes or no. Instead, she said: “Many Idaho families are one catastrophic illness away from financial hardship. An individual is critically ill, their spouse can’t work because of medical decisions needed and needs in the household. Is it devastating? Absolutely. Do you speak about it? No.”
White represents District 3, which encompasses most of Nampa. A Republican, she was elected in 2016 and reelected in 2018.
She has lived in Canyon County for 20 years, her county biography says. She worked in the retail banking industry and was a manager for Home Federal Bank before retiring. White was a Nampa city councilwoman for 9½ years before running for county commission.
Canyon County commissioners make $103,083 a year, according to county spokesperson Joe Decker.
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy means any nonexempt personal and business assets are liquidated and paid to the couples’ creditors. The bankruptcy allows the debtor to liquidate assets, pay creditors, and wipe most debt away.
In the Whites’ case, they sold off their assets — they said in documents that they no longer owned a home and were living in a recreational vehicle — and their remaining debt was discharged in December 2020.
The $100,000 in unpaid taxes included $60,000 in Washington state taxes, $20,000 in federal income taxes and $20,000 in federal business taxes, according to the documents.
According to the filing, the debts were primarily related to one of the couple’s businesses, Stealth Development Inc. Stealth Development is a building contractor, according to BuildZoom.
According to court documents, Steve White lived primarily in Otis Orchards, Washington, from 2015 to April 2020. Otis Orchards is near the Idaho state line in eastern Washington. Pam and Steve White now list their address as Nampa.
Steve White also owned Navigator Investments Inc., Aztec Development Inc., Bulldog Development Inc., Eldorado Development Inc., Bella Commons LLC, WGW LLC, North Lake Resorts LLC, Indian LLC and Denali Townhome LLC. Many of these businesses were based in Idaho, though some did not come up in a search on the Idaho Secretary of State’s website.
On its website, Navigator Investments Inc. says it is one of Idaho’s largest developers. It appears to have been a part of building single-family homes, apartment buildings, churches and schools, according to the site. On his LinkedIn page, Steve White lists himself as the development company’s owner.
On its Facebook page, Aztec Development Inc. says it is “a public works certified company specializing in land and site development projects in Idaho.”
The bankruptcy was first reported by Idaho Dispatch.
