Service Fee Plan Draws Fire From Idaho Churches
Fire chiefs and city fathers in Idaho have staged their own tax protest in the wake of the 1 percent property tax limitation and quickly drew the wrath of church leaders and hospital administrators.
Faced with dwindling revenues, the fire chiefs got a bill introduced in the Idaho House of Representatives which would allow tax-exempt institutions to be charged for police and fire protection. They call it a service charge, but church leaders say it is a tax.
Boise Fire Chief John Boros said there was precedent for such action because the federal government and Veterans Administration Hospital have financial agreements with his department to provide fire protection.
“We get along fine with the feds, but when it comes to high-risk places like churches, hospitals and even the state capitol, we don’t get a cent in revenue,” said Boros.
Boros has said a fire station in a North Boise residential area may have to close and some fire fighters could be laid off if funds are cut from his department. He sees the proposed law as a possible answer.
Chief A1 Gant of the Cole-Collister district outside Boise also endorsed the bill and pointed out that another big user of the fire service which pays little in the way of local taxes is the power company.
“Every time we get a storm or a car crashes into a power pole we have to respond, but they don’t pay any tax on the thousands of poles,” said Gant.
When the bill was voted out of committee at the prodding of the fire chiefs, it was just as quickly tabled and for all practical purposes killed under intense pressure from church leaders.
Catholic Bishop Sylvester Treinen suggested in a message to Idaho priests that they mention the bill during their Sunday masses.
Hospital administrators said they “feared medical costs would rise” if the bill passed.
Representative Steve Anton (RRupert) is chairman of the revenue and taxation committee and while he pronounced the bill dead this session, he said, “Next year when things start getting tight (as a result of the tax limit) they may come back looking for ways to bring in local revenue.”
With the mood of California’s proposition 13 sweeping the country, there will probably be more attempts like the one in Idaho to squeeze money for the fire service from previously tax-exempt properties.
