MY TURN: Open space and park development bond
On Nov. 7 the Kootenai County Commissioners will be asking you to vote on a $50-million bond to purchase open space and develop county parks. The bond will last 20 years and annually cost property owners $8 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. For example, here is what an owner of a median valued home would pay per year:
$480,475 Home Value (House and House Parcel)*
($125,000) Homeowner’s Exemption
= $355,475 Taxable Value
$28.44/year
*Kootenai County Certified Median Home Value as of January 2023.
This tax will likely shrink over time as more people share the bond’s cost. More detailed information can be found at kcbondinfo.com.
As I was leaving the County Planning and Zoning Commission, I met with the county commissioners and urged them to begin acquiring land for a variety of public uses on the Rathdrum Prairie and in other parts of the county. I pointed out the county currently owns 95 acres of land to serve 197,000 county residents, projected to be 283,000 by 2040. As you see, the county’s population is growing rapidly. The county has no open space and park development plan. There is no money to develop or implement such a plan.
The county commissioners listened carefully and voted unanimously to direct the Parks and Waterways Department to address this issue. It proposed the bond you will be voting on in November. It will need a two-thirds majority to approve it.
I offer my personal perspective. I have lived in Kootenai County for 50 years. When I first arrived, I traveled down Government Way, which was then U.S. 95. Later, adjacent farm fields to the west were replaced by current U.S. 95. The land to the east between Hayden and Coeur d’Alene was mainly open space containing some homes. Later, I taught at Lakeland High School in Rathdrum. Commuting from Coeur d’Alene to Rathdrum and back on Highway 41 in the 1970s and '80s, I would typically pass eight to 10 cars. Today, traffic clogs that highway and suburban and commercial sprawl crowd around it.
Growth happens quickly and overwhelms people, open space and services. We are witnessing rapid development and feeling the congestion it causes. I believe passing this open space and park development bond will give all of us tangible benefits and make Kootenai County a better place to live. You too may want something better for your life and the lives of your children and grandchildren. Public open space and parks provide access and recreational opportunities — places to explore, connect with others and enjoy wildlife.
Over the past 50 years, I have seen what growth without public investment has done in terms of congestion. Passing the bond will be good for each of us and the community. In November, I will vote for this bond to support our collective future. Please look within as you decide how to vote. I believe supporting this bond is a generous, far-sighted act which expresses our shared wisdom.
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Wes Anderson is a former Kootenai County Planning and Zoning Commission chairman and a resident of Coeur d'Alene.