PERSPECTIVES
Greetings from Boise We need a backup plan in case of NIC accreditation loss By Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint Reader Contributor March 24 is in the rear-view mirror. However, there is much to wrap up before we finish here in Boise. There are many bills to finalize and more than a few won’t be voted on. The property tax bill (House Bill 292) I wrote about last week was vetoed by Gov. Brad Little on March 27. He explained he had issues with a few bill flaws and couldn’t live with it [editor’s note: see more on Page 7]. The governor’s veto set off a chain-reaction of responses. Senators took it upon themselves to rewrite the tax bill and sent their version to the House. The House drew up a trailer bill to address the flaws the governor pointed out, and sent it to the Senate. I still believe we will get somewhere with tax reform this session, but it’s going to take some more work this week — and maybe next week. In other news, I joined several representatives earlier this week to meet with a pro-life advocate. We are trying to draft a better (and
Rep. Mark Sauter. File photo. more comprehensive) bill than those that were introduced and stalled out recently. Frustration is building. Many of us don’t want to end the session without some improvements to our abortion statutes. The Senate is rumored to have a new bill to introduce, as well. North Idaho College remains another issue that needs attention. Many say the college is a gem of North Idaho, producing thousands of graduates, preparing many for good jobs and serving the community well. The problem is the NIC board governance system is not meeting accreditation standards. NIC has been warned for months about this. Losing accreditation
would jeopardize federal funding and tuition loans. College staff members have left, multiple lawsuits have been filed and court rulings have not been in the favor of NIC. Enrollment has been dropping the last few years, too. Despite introducing several bills (HBs 226, 315, 320 and 321), we have not held a public hearing on any of them. The introduced bills all deal with issues including governance, property and levy authority that NIC will face if it loses accreditation and is not able to remedy the situation in a timely manner — that is, two years. It is not that we haven’t been trying. The speaker of the House controls the hearings and has stood in the way (so far) of any public action. A representative from Lewiston and I continue to pursue this issue. I’ve spent considerable time talking with the Idaho State Board of Education, the NIC president, other representatives, the House speaker, the governor and his staff, and many members of the public trying to get something done. Most of those I speak with relay their concerns that “NIC hasn’t
County government 101
By Luke Omodt, Bonner Co. commissioner, Dist. 3 Reader Contributor
What exactly is local government? Local government is any entity that has the statutory authority or jurisdiction to deliver services, enforce the law and collect taxes. When Idaho became a state in 1890, the several counties that existed became legal subdivisions of the new state. County government’s authority comes directly from the Idaho Constitution and state statute. This is part of a series of articles designed to inform and encourage participation in local Bonner County government. There are three ambulance districts, one cemetery district, 13 fire districts, five highway districts, three hospital districts, five library districts, one recreational district, three school districts, seven sewer districts, four water districts, 11
water/sewer districts, six urban renewal districts and nine incorporated areas (cities) within Bonner County for a grand total of 72 taxing districts. Check it out yourself by visiting bonnercountyid.gov and going to our GIS department and start playing with the interactive map. All Idahoans live in a county, but you may or may not reside in some of these other taxing districts. The authority for all local taxing districts begins with the United States Constitution, followed by the state constitutions such as Idaho’s that begins with, “We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare do establish this Constitution.” Each of these different taxing districts have elected representatives that determine how to best serve their lawful purposes. The Idaho State Tax Com-
mission informs taxpayers about their obligations so everyone can pay their fair share of taxes, and it must enforce Idaho’s laws to ensure the fairness of the tax system with those who don’t voluntarily comply. The State Tax Commission also ensures that local governments are abiding by state law in the assessment and collection of taxes. For more information, visit tax.idaho.gov. State statute establishes the rules for the different taxing districts. Title 31, Chapter 20, Section 31-2001 enumerates the nine officers of a county in Idaho, and they are: a sheriff; a clerk of the district court, who shall be ex officio auditor and recorder and ex officio clerk of the board of county commissioners; an assessor; a prosecuting attorney; a county treasurer, who shall be ex officio public administrator and ex officio tax collector; a coroner; and three members of the board of county
failed yet.” Another common opinion is that NIC has an elected board, and the state needs to stay out of their business. I’ve not advocated for a state takeover. My concern is for the state to provide the backup statute in case NIC does lose accreditation and begins to shut down. Having a backup plan ready for implementation should NIC lose accreditation, and its board is not able to turn the situation around, seems responsible to me. The state has spent approximately $250 million on NIC since 2013. Several weeks ago, the NIC president was reinstated after being on paid leave since December. A judge ordered that action. Reportedly, many breathed a sigh of relief upon learning of the president’s return. Then, approximately 10 days ago, the NIC board appealed the judge’s ruling and now the matter will be heard again in court on Friday, March 31 [editor’s note: see Page 5]. NIC has two college presidents on the payroll. Setting and approving the NIC capital and operating budget is one of the duties of the Legislature each year. NIC operations funding was reduced this year. While the
other Idaho community colleges received budget increases of 7.6%11.4 %, NIC received 2.8%. When I asked why the NIC budget is not aligned with the increases, like other community colleges, I was told the conditions at NIC did not warrant the expansion of funding. The NIC board response to the Northwest Commission on College and Universities and most recent governance questions is due on March 31. Staff from the NWCCU will be touring NIC in April and meeting to evaluate their findings in June. A ruling on the accreditation status of NIC could come as early as July. Potential outcomes range from a return to accredited status to further probation to loss of accreditation. It’s been promised that the state will call a special session of the Legislature if the college were to fail. I believe we should be doing more to have a backup plan.
commissioners. All seven offices have distinct statutory authority and jurisdiction. County commissioners are unique in that we are the only elected officials that act as a legislative, executive and quasi-judicial body. In a three-member board of commissioners, individually we have no authority, but as a body we have a number of responsibilities and roles that are clearly outlined in state statute. Our legislative function is to write local ordinances and policy. Our executive function is that the board is the final budget authority for all county expenditures and responsible for supervising the safekeeping of public monies collected and/or spent by elected officials, boards and commissions. The board of county commissioners is also legally responsible for the management of all county property. Finally, the board acts in a quasi-judicial capacity when
acting as the board of equalization or hearing land use files. President James Madison said it best: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” Your local elected officials are here to deliver services, enforce the law and collect the taxes that pay for roads, schools, the dump, library, EMS and much more. If you want to know why I made a decision, reach out to me at luke. omodt@bonnercountyid.gov. If you would like me to come and speak to a group about county government let’s make it happen. Get involved, attend a meeting and bring a friend — Bonner County is home.
Rep. Mark Sauter is a first-term Republican legislator representing District 1A. He serves on the Agricultural Affairs; Education; and Judiciary, Rules and Administration committees. Contact him at msauter@house.idaho.gov.
Luke Omodt represents District 3 on the Bonner County Board of Commissioners, comprising the areas immediately north of Sandpoint and the eastern portion of the county. March 30, 2023 / R / 11