Christmas is a time for giving, and last year, the city of McCall threw its employees a $5,490 dollar Christmas party at taxpayer expense, according to records obtained by the Idaho Freedom Foundation.
City records indicate the party – referred to by city officials as a "Holiday party" – was held at the McCall Golf Club, and included $2,783 for dinner, and $2,707 for gifts and gift certificates.
Documents obtained by the Idaho Freedom Foundation show Boise's urban renewal agency and Ada County commissioners fighting over parking operations – and now the county is demanding thousands of dollars from the agency.
The Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) has taken away the first hour of free parking at the Ada County Courthouse and has threatened to remove the first 10 minutes of free parking in favor of a flat rate of $2.50 an hour.
Leaving Eagle City Hall last week, I heard something that made me just a little depressed. The City Council had just finished taking testimony on a proposed ordinance to ban smoking virtually everywhere except private residences.
The council voted to give the public more time to comment on the proposal, because only one Eagle resident showed up to testify. Everyone else came from other parts of the Valley.
The city of Eagle has delayed a decision on whether to ban smoking in most establishments in town. The ordinance is the work product of several groups that are approaching various local city councils in order to pass a ban on smoking in ALL establishments. While this effort targets bars specifically, it also (by accident or by design) includes many other privately-run establishments whether or not they cater to the general public.
I have to give some kudos to the Eagle City Council. On Tuesday, the council became the first in the state to adopt a resolution supporting transparency in government.
For the first time in the state of Idaho, a local government has decided to put its cards on the table and give taxpayers the opportunity for close, routine monitoring of city expenditures and business dealings. It is our hope that all levels of government will create similar websites that empower Idahoans and boost transparency and accountability in government.
