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Lindsey learned an uncomfortable truth: City officials used public funds to sway
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voters toward a pricy tax hike.
The Idaho declaration of a level playing field By Phil Haunschild In late 2016, slick campaign mailers bearing
Lindsey was outraged. “It didn’t seem right
the city of Fruitland’s return address landed
that [the city council] had the liberty to spend
in Rachel Lindsey’s mailbox. That’s when the
taxpayer money on not one, but three mailers
mother of five started digging into the city’s
they felt were necessary to ‘educate’ citizens
business.
about a bond they were hoping to pass,” the Fruitland mom said. “I feel that was wasted
Through a records request submitted in
money which should’ve, and could’ve, been
partnership with the Idaho Freedom Founda-
put to much better use.”
tion, Lindsey learned an uncomfortable truth: City officials used public funds to sway voters
In a quest for equal opportunity, the stay-at-
toward a pricy tax hike.
home mom asked Fruitland officials if the city would fund a flier opposing the bond. The city
In 2016, the Fruitland City Council asked
quickly rebuffed the request.
voters there to approve a multi-million dollar bond to transform the old, vacant high school
“The scales were clearly tipped in one direc-
into an expansive city hall. To lubricate the
tion, and they’d been tipped unfairly using
pitch, the city of Fruitland spent $16,000 in
taxpayer money,” Lindsey said. “It wasn’t right
taxpayer funds on marketing consultants,
and it clearly wasn’t fair.”
postage, mailers and door-hangers—all to persuade voters in the small southwestern Idaho
She’s correct, of course. Local governments
town to approve the bond.
shouldn’t interfere with elections using taxpayer resources. Doing that is an affront to all
Two mailers landed in Lindsey’s mailbox, and
residents, especially to those who oppose a
off-duty police and fire officials, for whom the
government’s position and don’t want their tax
bond would also fund new digs, attached a
dollars funding public relations campaigns.
flyer to her front door. GOOD GOVERNANCE