r e i r u o C s a m a C the
13 0 2 , 2 January
couriernews.webs.com
N E WS
37 Volume 1 Number News from the Heart of Idaho: Camas, Lincoln, and Gooding County
orth
Gooding Water Project Goes to Court
Next Tuesday, the City of Gooding will present their case to 5th District Judge, John Butler, for Judicial Confirmation on a water system improvement project. The question before the court is whether the City of Gooding should be allowed to proceed with issuing revenue bonds for this project without going through a bond election process. The Idaho State Constitution allows cities to bypass the bond election process if a project is deemed by the court to be “ordinary and necessary expense.” Judicial Confirmation has several advantages for the city. One, it is generally (though not necessarily) quicker to obtain funds; and Two, it saves money because a bond election is expensive. A third reason to go through Judicial Confirmation is to avoid a “political campaign” for a project that may be unpopular with some citizens. This cost of this project will increase water rates within the City of Gooding, and may present a hardship for some particularly those on fixed income. Because of this, there is opposition to this action, and a group of Gooding residents have hired an attorney to argue against Judicial Confirmation. While there are lots of reasons to be against increased water fees (hardship, inability to vote, etc.), the opposition group will have an uphill battle in this case because the only real issue before the court is whether the cost of this project is “ordinary and necessary expense.” The city has been dealing with wa-
ast
est
outh
Idaho Territory - 150 Years On the morning of March 4, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a congressional act creating the Idaho Territory. Twenty-seven years later, on July 3, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed a congressional act establishing Idaho as the 43rd state. The Idaho State Historical Society, as well as a number of other organizations, are planning events to celebrate Idaho’s Territorial Sesquicentennial. To foster exploration of our history and create a permanent legacy of Idaho’s territorial sesquicentennial, ISHS is working on several Legacy Projects including: a Abraham Lincoln collection of books, documents, images, and artifacts; an online exhibition showcasing clothing and textiles from the past 150 years; the Bear River Massacre National Historic Landmark; and the Merle W. Wells Research Center. In addition to these legacy projects, ISHS will have a special exhibit at the State Historical Museum featuring 150 items nominated from organizations and individuals across Idaho representing Idaho’s diverse landscape, remarkable people, and fascinating history. The exhibition will open on March 4, 2013. Local organizations will be looking individuals to help with the state wide celebration, and in some places, local celebrations of note: Gooding will be celebrating 100 years, as will the Pioneer Picnic in Fairfield. Be sure to get involved in celebrating our great state of Idaho. ter system problems for a very long time, and the recommendations for the current plan of action came from a citizen group specifically form to look at this issue. Because of this, the City of Gooding has a great deal of evidence supporting
their point of view. The hearing for the city’s request is January 8, 2013. Judge Butler could make a decision on that day, but it is highly unlikely that he will do so, given that there is opposition.