Growth takes center stage as Ada County candidates talk traffic, health care
Avimor-style subdivisions or apartment buildings? Park and Ride or a local option tax? Free clinics or Medicaid expansion?
Those were some of the choices offered up by four candidates for Ada County Board of Commissioners at a lunch forum Thursday, hosted by the City Club of Boise.
While the candidates agreed with their opponents on the need for things like better public transportation and a united vision for the future of the Treasure Valley, they disagreed sometimes on how to get there.
District 1
Republican incumbent Jim Tibbs emphasized his years of experience as a sitting commissioner, elected in 2012. He portrayed himself as a candidate with knowledge of how things really work in county government, alluding to political and legal realities that can get in the way of a commissioner’s vision.
His opponent, Democrat Diana Lachiondo, talked about her work as director of community partnerships for the City of Boise, where she has been involved in Housing First and neighborhood revitalization efforts. She portrayed herself as a unifier who can build bridges between government, business, nonprofits and faith-based organizations.
District 3
Kendra Kenyon, the Democratic candidate, drew on her resume as a management consultant to highlight her expertise in leadership. She portrayed herself as someone who can get organizations to work together toward a common goal.
Her Republican opponent, Sharon Ullman, highlighted her previous two terms as an Ada County commissioner, from 2001-03 and 2009-13, and her decades of civic involvement. She said she wants to fix problems and has ideas for solutions, such as expanding free health screenings to curb the rising cost to the county of medical care for the poor and uninsured.
Here’s what the candidates had to say on the issues, edited for length and clarity:
How to handle the county’s rapid growth?
Ullman: “The board of county commissioners needs to listen to neighborhoods and neighborhood associations. Projects have been approved that don’t fit the availability of roads and schools. The county is not in the transportation business or the schools business but is approving three-story apartment buildings at Lake Hazel and Maple Grove. That means more traffic, parking problems, school overcrowding. I approve of affordable housing but I think there are more appropriate places for projects like that to go.”
Kenyon: “As we look at growth, we want to make sure we protect our most valuable assets. We all have to come together to create a common vision. I will be able to facilitate collaboration amongst all the entities that need to be sitting at the table, including neighborhood associations.”
Lachiondo: “I think there’s a loss of a sense of place, somewhat. Growth is inevitable, but it’s important how we grow and how we shape that growth. Let’s bring back the idea of a regional comprehensive plan, a blueprint for growth, and really set some standards for how we’re going to grow. I don’t think we can afford to not have that effort.”
Tibbs: “We have to deal with tough decisions. And it’s fundamental when you’re making land use decisions that you have to obey state law. And we have a comprehensive plan developed in 2016. Not only do we have our own, there are six other comprehensive plans from other cities in Ada County. But we have 1,000 people a month moving into Ada County. We’ve heard testimony from the residents, from a lot of people who live in these areas. They just bought their slice of heaven five years ago, and when someone else buys their slice of heaven, they don’t want them there.”
How to handle the road congestion?
Ullman: “What I’m seeing is people are moving farther and farther outside of town, away from jobs, away from shopping. We’re seeing the last places people can afford to buy, particularly, a single-family home are in Kuna and Star. I see an opportunity arising from this, where we can shuttle people in, we can bus people in. We can work with Ada County Highway District to build more park-and-ride lots.”
Kenyon: “We’re all getting frustrated with what’s happening out there with congestion. (Planners) anticipate we will be $5.4 billion in the hole on prioritized road and transportation projects. That’s very problematic.”
Tibbs: “Transportation is a topic at every meeting. The question is where does the money come from? It’s really up to the state and the federal government. Now, you’ve heard talk about a local option tax. I believe we need to vote on that as a community, to help with transportation issues, but that’s a legislative issue. In the county, you’re really limited in what you can do.”
Lachiondo: “Where I disagree is on some of those opportunities and solutions. And I think it starts with land use. (For projects like Avimor) it costs all of us more money to provide services out in those areas. I am not supportive of leapfrog developments out in the county, and that’s where the county has purview.”
The county’s role in substance abuse and mental health care?
Tibbs: “Some people think, well, county government’s not involved in homelessness. Monday, we budgeted $10 million for the indigent program, and that’s for mental health as well as medical. Last year was the first year the county spent more on mental health than on medical health — $3.5 million for mental health and $3.1 million for medical health. We pay the bills. The county’s responsible for $11,000 and then state pays the rest.”
Lachiondo: “In terms of mental health and detox, I was one of the worker bees involved in the Allumbaugh House, and it’s one of the reasons I’m running. Without Allumbaugh House, people have nowhere to go. I just had a woman reach out to me to say that Allumbaugh House did save her daughter’s life. Hopefully, when Medicaid expands this fall, it will become an allowable service. (Medicaid expansion is up for a public vote in November.) While the Ada County commissioners did not defund Allumbaugh House, they did not keep up with (funding for hospitals, etc.) At the same time, we have a new crisis center — Pathways. By statute, Ada County commissioners are supposed to sit on that board, but the current Ada County commissioners have refused to take their seat.”
Ullman: “I don’t think we need more money; I think we need to redirect the resources we have. When I was in office, I worked with the ISU Meridian office, the hospitals and the low-cost and free clinics. The county provided $100,000 to ISU to use their various health sciences students to provide free health screenings, preventive health screenings. It makes far more sense to me to expand some of the low-cost and free clinics ... divert those dollars from crisis care into prevention and personal responsibility.”
Kenyon: “It’s got to be preventive, we can’t be reactive. It impacts the entire system, from the sheriff’s department, emergency services, the coroner. It’s a systemic problem, and we’ve got to do a better job. If you’re not going to vote yes (on Medicaid expansion), what you’re going to see is the indigent fund (needing more money).”
This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 9:05 PM.