State of the City: Meridian mayor proposes no tax increase, calls on state for relief
Even amid the coronavirus pandemic, the subject that loomed largest during Meridian Mayor Robert Simison’s State of the City address was growth.
“The state of the city is evolving,” Simison said Monday to the mostly empty City Council chambers, closed to the public because of COVID-19. “We are growing, improving and facing unprecedented challenges as we stand at the crossroads of our community.”
But, he said, the Legislature has hampered Meridian’s ability to address residents’ major concerns, such as school overcrowding, strained transportation infrastructure and growing property taxes.
“The state Legislature has refused to take responsibility for providing facilities — or, quite frankly adequate funding of operations — to our schools,” Simison said. “Rather, these costs are put upon property owners in the forms of bonds and levies, which currently make up 32% of most Meridian residents’ property tax bills.”
Like his predecessor, Tammy de Weerd, Simison urged lawmakers to allow cities to use a local option sales tax — which many other cities use to help fund projects involving public transportation or community centers, for instance. Currently in Idaho, only resort cities with a population of 10,000 or less may increase their sales tax. Gov. Brad Little has previously said he would be open to signing a bill that allows a local sales tax.
Property tax relief
Simison also called on lawmakers to provide property tax relief for homeowners, without straining local budgets, as Rep. Mike Moyle’s failed proposal in the 2020 legislative session would have.
“The state Legislature once again failed to adjust homeowners exemptions and circuit breaker relief for seniors,” he said, backing policies pushed by Democrats last year.
He cautioned against ideas like limiting cities’ ability to increase their budgets based on new construction, or further limiting the ability to increase the base tax rate, which is currently capped at 3% each year.
“If the Legislature makes significant changes to one or both of these elements of property tax, without providing other tools, it will have a significant impact on Meridian,” he said, calling on business leaders to make property taxes one of their top legislative priorities next year.
This year, though, Simison has asked the City Council not to increase property taxes, due to the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“To be clear, future budgets will need to take the allowable tax increase if we are to invest in our employees who serve the community every day,” Simison said. “These future decisions by our City Council may be more difficult or encumbered by any actions taken by the state Legislature and will need the support of our community if we are to meet the services expectations of our residents in the coming fiscal years.”
Prioritizing roads, infill development
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Meridian has continued to process development applications that would add thousands of homes to the city over the next decade. But Simison urged for growth to happen within the undeveloped parcels already in city limits, rather than forcing the city to grow outward.
“Our No. 1 priority is infill development,” Simison said. “Infill projects are hard, but generally they don’t put as much of a cost on services as a project on the perimeters of our community.”
As he has in the past, Simison said that for development beyond city limits, the city would prioritize its southeast and northwest regions, where new police and fire stations are planned in the next five years.
“If development occurs outside of these areas, it is incumbent upon the development community to be creative in bringing services to those areas so growth pays for growth,” he said.
On issues like transportation, Simison offered action the city could take without state permission. He elaborated on a plan from the campaign trail that would entice the Ada County Highway District, which controls the city’s roads, to move faster on Meridian projects. Under such a plan, Meridian would front the cost of road work it wanted done, only to be later reimbursed by ACHD. Simison said the financial plan for the next five years includes $15 million for the reimbursement program.
Working with the West Ada School District
Simison also addressed the West Ada School District’s May election, which failed to garner enough support for a $14 million supplemental levy to help pay for additional teachers and school days.
“With the failure of the supplemental levy and with any bond for future facilities in doubt, I am urging West Ada to use all the tools at their disposal to maximize time and available space at existing schools,” he said.
He noted the city’s recent efforts to coordinate their growth with the district — the state’s largest — such as hiring a new planner who will collaborate with the district on new school siting.
“We need to do better and not repeat the efforts of Owyhee High School, which was built on the edge — almost beyond — city services and basic infrastructure,” Simison said of the city’s newest high school, in northwest Meridian, which is set to be completed in August 2021 and serve just under 2,000 students.
“The only way we can ensure students have safe routes to school is to have infrastructure in place, such as improved roads with sidewalks and pathways from nearby residential subdivisions, when schools open.”
