Tourists use Nampa’s facilities, but residents cover the cost. Here’s how to fix it | Opinion

As a strong believer in limited government and tax relief, I urge my Nampa neighbors to vote in favor of the Nampa Auditorium District this November.

Nampa has both the benefit and the burden of having two key community venues: the Ford Idaho Center and the Nampa Civic Center.

The benefit: these venues host hundreds of events and attract hundreds of thousands of people from across the country each year. In fact, at just the Ford Idaho Center’s Horse Park, 76% of its visitors are from outside Idaho.

The burden: the majority of those attending these shows and events are from out-of-state, causing both the repair and the improvement of the facilities to fall on Nampa’s property taxpayers.

This is where the creation of an auditorium district comes in.

Currently, our community venues are funded by city taxes, meaning you and I are footing the bill. Combined with inflation that is causing everything to cost more, bearing this financial responsibility is not sustainable or fair to Nampa residents, especially when we have a better option that can help alleviate that burden.

Over the past year many volunteers, myself included, have gone door-to-door to gather more than 5,000 signatures from our neighbors. These Nampa residents signed the petition to get the proposed Nampa Auditorium District on the upcoming General Election ballot. Now, Nampa residents who live within the identified auditorium district boundary get the opportunity to pass this smart and fiscally responsible policy. A vote in favor will shift the financial burden away from all our hardworking Nampa property taxpayers and onto those who use and benefit most from our local amenities: out-of-town visitors.

A vote in favor of the auditorium district will enact an up to 5% fee on hotel room stays within the district boundary. This means visitors who travel to Nampa and choose to stay at one of our hotels will pay a user fee. Then, that collected fee will fund the improvement and expansion of the Ford Idaho Center and Nampa Civic Center – and Nampa taxpayers will not. The Nampa Auditorium District is a tax burden relief, pure and simple.

The user-fee funds collected from hotel stays will be managed by an elected board of directors that will be made up entirely of Nampa residents. Decisions on how to use that money will be made by people who live within the Auditorium District boundary. So, those who are from our city and understand our priorities will oversee the decisions that affect Nampa.

An auditorium district is not a new idea. Many other cities in Idaho, have already successfully implemented their own districts to continue to improve their community facilities, all while removing a financial burden from their residents. Nampa now has the choice to do the same. A vote for of the Nampa Auditorium District is a win-win situation. It’s a smart investment that relieves tax pressure on our residents while keeping our community venues thriving and competitive. I can’t think of a better solution that benefits everyone in Nampa. Let’s seize this opportunity to enhance Nampa without raising taxes – join me in voting in favor of the Nampa Auditorium District this Nov. 5.