Rathdrum looks to combine City Hall, police, parks

Targets 30 acres on Lancaster Road

RATHDRUM — With a 0% increase in property taxes, the development of a new City Hall, and talk of buying park land, the city of Rathdrum has good reason to be excited.

Mayor Vic Holmes and the City Council on Tuesday discussed the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget.

To the joy of some residents, the city administration is expecting to continue its three-year streak of not raising property taxes, as Rathdrum officials said growth is paying for itself.

Yearly, city administrators have tried to leave a surplus in the budget for new developments and rainy days by constantly looking for the most efficient and cost-effective options. By building up the surplus, derived from high revenues and low expenditures, the city has avoided burdening taxpayers with bonds.

“We don’t know what the economy is going to do. We might get a surplus from other things like building permits or we might have lean years when gas prices are too high,” City Administrator Leon Duce said. “That’s why it’s good to have a good carry over.”

Leadership is looking to make headway on developing a new location to combine City Hall, the Rathdrum Police Department, and Parks and Recreation offices. The city has already purchased a 30-acre plot of land on Lancaster Road between Meyer Road and Highway 41 for the new location.

Once construction is finished on the building and parking lot, administration is looking at using any leftover acreage for parks and recreation facilities. Rathdrum administration had hoped at one time to host an open house to allow for public comment on what citizens want to see from the building, but COVID-19 put those plans on hold.

City leaders also talked about purchasing land for a public park. After the success of Majestic Park, which was finished in 2012, officials say they are on the lookout for available property. Traditionally, impact fees have been used to develop new parks and ensure they maintain a proper level of service.

“There are some great unknowns that you have to leave a little leeway for in budgeting depending on how the economy is and what is going on during the time period,” Duce said. “However because of saving surpluses and keeping taxes down we can go and buy something like that and not put a burden on the taxpayers.”