Press editorial: Mayor's fiscal sense isn't contagious, alas

Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer did his homework and correctly answered the $63,000 question Wednesday during ignite cda’s budget hearing.

While $63,000 may not seem like a lot of money when planning a multi-million dollar government budget, we commend Widmyer for doing his homework and proposing cutting that amount from the urban renewal agency’s $7.1 million budget for the next fiscal year.

For property owners facing increased taxes on nearly all fronts during this budget season, every penny counts, and $63,000 is more than most North Idaho families make in a year. The ignite cda board members, who were appointed by Widmyer and previous mayors, took the path of least resistance Wednesday and approved the budget without making Widmyer’s suggested cuts.

Despite the Mayor’s analysis of similar-sized urban renewal agencies and his suggestions for how ignite cda could reduce its operational costs, they reacted with lackluster curiosity — trying to gently find flaws in his argument. What may be most disturbing about the budget hearing is that, with the exception of Widmyer, nobody asked a single question about saving money.

Board member Deanna Goodlander said they had no choice but to approve the budget Wednesday. And she was right. Idaho law calls for urban renewal agencies to file their estimated revenues and expenditures for the next fiscal year by early September, and Wednesday was likely the board’s last meeting before the deadline.

What they could have done, though, was hold a financial workshop prior to Wednesday’s meeting. Instead, in a move right out of the bureaucratic handbook, the board decided to hold a workshop within 45 days, but no date was set. As Widmyer pointed out: What is the motivation for the board now the budget has been approved? Not much.

But it may not be too late for other board members to do what Widmyer did and take a hard look at potential budget savings. Since Idaho urban renewal law requires agencies to follow the same budgeting processes as municipalities, we believe they could amend the budget at a later date.

We encourage the ignite cda board members to consider this when they hold their finance workshop.

While ignite cda has no authority to levy taxes, its revenue is created by a reallocation of local tax revenues collected when property values increase.

Urban renewal wouldn’t exist without taxes — taxes paid by people who give blood, sweat and tears to make this community work.