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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's who prevailed in Tuesday's Boise-area election, including library trustees
Not long after polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday, elections offices in Ada and Canyon counties began releasing results of the May consolidated election. The typically low-profile election included contentious library trustee races in Meridian and Ada County and a number of tax measures put forth by school, fire and ambulance districts seeking millions in taxpayer dollars. Ada County voted just 8% turnout, with 21,535 ballots cast. Here's what voters weighed in on and where results landed: Tuesday's election was the first for Boise-area library districts since a state law went into effect in July allowing patrons to challenge and even sue libraries if they fail to protect minors from 'harmful materials.' Fierce debate over the place of books with LGBTQ+ or other themes some deem inappropriate took center stage in trustee races in the Meridian Library and Ada Community Library districts. In a lopsided Meridian library race, incumbent Jeff Kohler and newcomer Garrett Castle breezed by two opponents, Phil Reynolds and Mike Hon, who were part of a group that tried to dissolve the library district in 2023. Unofficial results show Kohler with 40.6% of the vote, Castle with 39.4%, Hon with 10.3% and Reynolds with 9.7%. In 2023, Destinie Hart beat out an opponent also affiliated with Concerned Citizens of Meridian, the group that petitioned to dissolve the district, at a wide margins of roughly 68% to 32%. Unofficial results revealed a much tighter race for trustee seats for the Ada Community Library, where two pairs of candidates faced off for two seats. Suzette Moore, who was appointed to the board last month to fill a vacancy, teamed up with Rachel Moorhouse, with the support of trustee Steven Ricks, who served as the pair's treasurer and donated to their campaign. Moore and Moorhouse faced off against Johnathon Baldauf and Travis Worwood, who said they were running to 'protect our libraries' and continue the library district's work. Moorhouse and Moore beat Worwood and Baldauf, with all four falling in a 5 percentage point grouping. Totals were as follows: Moorhouse: 25.9%; Moore: 23.5%; Worwood: 22.9%; Baldauf: 20.8%. Two other names, Sabrina Napolitano and Lori Billaud, appeared on the ballot but they suspended their campaigns after the deadline. Napolitano and Billaud told the Statesman they threw their support behind Moore and Moorhouse. A total of 637 votes were cast for Napolitano or Billaud. The auditorium district 'is dedicated to promoting economic activity and growth in the Boise area,' according to its website. It raises most of its money from tourists and business visitors, rather than local residents, through a 5% tax on hotel rooms. On Tuesday, voters in Boise, Garden City and parts of Meridian and unincorporated Ada County were poised to select candidates for two seats with six-year terms. Incumbent Jim Walker (40.1%) and Sophie Sestero (36.7%) topped Danielle Horras (8.1%) and Aimee Pollard Tylor (15.2%) by wide margins. The new board will consider how to steward the tens of millions of dollars in reserves it has built up as the region grows and attracts visitors. A possible sports arena or an expansion of the Boise Centre, the downtown convention center, are on the table for the district. Property-tax payers in Canyon County passed a levy to support new paramedics and EMTs in the county's ambulance district. The district sought the $7.9 million-a-year levy that would expire after two years, after two previous levies failed. This one was estimated to cost taxpayers $18.62 a year per $100,000 of taxable assessed value. The levy required 50% plus one vote to pass. It passed Tuesday evening with the support of just over 58% of the almost 12,000 votes counted. The Star Fire Protection District and the Middleton Rural Fire District each asked voters for an additional $2.25 million a year in property tax revenue, but neither succeeded. In both rapidly growing districts, more voters supported the levies than opposed them, but it was not enough to meet the two-thirds threshold required for the measures to prevail. In Star, 54.7% of voters supported the levy, while in Middleton, 51.1% of voters were supportive. Money from the levy would have gone toward operating a new Star fire station on Floating Feather Road plus other staff and district expenses. The adjoining districts have an expense-sharing partnership and ran nearly identical levies on the ballot. However, the tax burden for homeowners was different for those in Middleton and Star, which has a larger property-tax base. The levy would have cost homeowners in Middleton an estimated $61.7 a year per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, compared to an estimated cost of $44.79 per year per $100,000 in Star. The Middleton School District's fifth attempt to pass a bond for a new elementary school failed, despite a much lower cost to taxpayers than previous endeavors. The $19.9 million school bond earned the support of 53.1% of voters — not the two-thirds majority it needed. The money would have gone toward building the district's first new school in 17 years, a 700-student elementary school that would have been part of a 300-acre development along the north side of Idaho 44 in Star. Developers even agreed to donate and prepare the land for the school. Superintendent Mark Gee told the Statesman last month that the district, now over capacity in two of its three elementary schools, first started looking for a site for a new school in 2015, and in 2018 ran a bond that failed three times. A fourth with an updated plan failed in 2022. This bond would have cost taxpayers about $34 per $100,000 of assessed value, much less than the estimated $161 per $100,000 in the last attempt in 2022. The Vallivue School District around Nampa and Caldwell sought to renew a $7 million yearly supplemental levy that voters previously approved and that is set to expire on June 30, 2026. The two-year renewal levy would help pay for transportation, teachers and other personnel and programs that state funding won't pay for, the Statesman reported ahead of the election. What's unique about this levy is it sought to decrease costs for taxpayers by $11 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value compared to the existing levy. Of the almost 12,000 who turned out, 62.2% of voters supported the levy, while 37.8% opposed it. As a supplemental levy, it needed only a simple majority to pass. Unofficial results: Eagle Sewer District, 6-year term (two seats): James Gruber (incumbent): 24.9% John R. Bennett (incumbent): 20.8% (617) Angela Stoppello Russell: 20.8% (615) Deborah L. Kowalcyk: 19.6% Christopher Hadden: 13.8% Eagle Sewer District, 2-year term (one seat): Tillie Reed (incumbent): 56.4% Miguel DeLuna: 43.6% West Boise Sewer District, 6-year term (one seat): Gerald W. Bresina: 52.4% Logan J. Kimball: 47.7% For more information on each of these races, read the Statesman's pre-election roundup and Meridian Library District voter guide. Could Ada County budget get DOGE'd? Commissioner says Elon Musk sets good example Idaho teacher in classroom-sign furor quits. What she told school officials What does Idaho's new law say about pro-police flags? This town found out
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Heads up, Boise-area voters: Who's running for what in May 2023 election
In case you missed the memo: Idaho's latest Election Day is almost here. It's Tuesday, May 20. The May off-year election is not high-profile. There are no prominent races for federal or state offices, or even county or city ones. But in Ada and Canyon counties, candidates are running for seats on the boards of library, auditorium and sewer districts that impose taxes to pay for government services. School, fire and ambulance districts are asking voters to cough up more money. Do you live in Meridian or unincorporated Ada County? There are library-board contests in each of those. Live in Canyon County? Paramedics are asking you to raise property taxes to support ambulance services. Boise? The auditorium district has board candidates to pick. Star or Middleton? The fire departments seek money to keep up with growth-stretched firefighting needs. Here is essential information about the races and ballot measures in Ada County and eastern Canyon County, which includes Nampa and Caldwell. At the end, we tell you how to look up your ballot and where to vote. And along the way, we'll highlight a few facts you might not know that may help you understand Idaho elections better. Like this one: Did you know? Under Idaho law, all of the contests on the May ballot are nonpartisan. If you want to learn even more, you'll find links to authoritative sources throughout this story. And you might check back with this story later, because we'll add to it as news developments merit until Election Day. (Have requests or suggestions for additions? Email dstaats@ You must be a civic-minded reader or you wouldn't have read this far. So let's start with something that most civic-minder readers of all political stripes value: libraries. The contest for library-board seats in Meridian is particularly significant. Children's access to books with LGBTQ+ or other themes that some people deem harmful to minors is once again an issue in the Meridian Library District. In the May 2023 election, two incumbents fended off challengers who objected to access to certain books. Some opponents of existing access policies sought to dissolve the library district. That effort failed. But two of its proponents, Phil Reynolds and Mike Hon, are campaigning now for the two open seats on the library board. So are an incumbent and a newcomer who have joined forces. The incumbent, Jeff Kohler, is the library board's chair. His running mate is first-time candidate Garrett Castle, who helped re-elect one of the successful incumbents two years ago. The League of Women Voters of Idaho has scheduled a candidates' forum from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, in the large conference room at the Meridian Library, 1326 W. Cherry Lane. Meanwhile, in the Ada County Free Library District, better known as the Ada Community Library, which serves mostly unincorporated areas, five candidates seek two seats. One is already on the board: Suzette Moore, who was appointed to fill a vacancy and is now facing election. She has teamed up with Rachel Moorhouse. Both are substitute teachers. Running against them are Johnathon Baldauf and Travis Worwood, who have likewise teamed up. A fifth candidate is Sabrina Napolitano, who didn't respond to Statesman questions. A sixth candidate, Lori Billaud, is on the ballot but has suspended her campaign. As for Kuna? There would have been an election for two seats had enough candidates filed. But Trustees Joan Gidney and Marie Leavitt are uncontested, so they will retain their seats without an election. Read this Statesman story for an in-depth report on the library candidates (with photos) and issues. Don't know if you live within one of the districts? Here's a map showing their boundaries. Did you know? Libraries are part of city government in many Idaho cities, including Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Nampa and Caldwell. Their residents don't get to vote for library trustees. The district raises money for economic development. Its major project is the Boise Centre, the downtown convention center. It has built up tens of millions of dollars in reserves and is considering ways to spend that money, including a sports arena or a convention-center expansion. Four candidates seek two seats with six-year terms: Danielle Horras, Sophie Sestero, Aimee Pollard Tylor and incumbent Jim Walker. Incumbent Jody B. Olson declared her candidacy for re-election but withdrew in time for her not to appear on the ballot. All of the candidates but Horras took part in a candidate forum May 1 reported by BoiseDev. This district includes most of Boise and Garden City plus pieces of Meridian and unincorporated Ada County. Check this interactive map to see if you live in it. Did you know? Local residents don't pay taxes to support the Greater Boise Auditorium District as they do for other local-government entities. Tourists and business visitors do. The district raises most of its revenue through a 5% tax on hotel rooms. The Canyon County Ambulance District is asking property-tax payers to cough up $7.9 million more per year for two years to hire paramedics and EMTs and pay for other expenses. It estimates that the levy will cost $18.62 a year per $100,000 of taxable assessed value. The rapidly growing Star Fire Protection District and the Middleton Rural Fire District ask voters to approve an additional $2.25 million a year for each in property tax revenue. The money would help to operate a new Star fire station on Floating Feather Road and help pay for other staffing and district expenses as the demand for service keeps rising in response to growth and development. The two adjoining districts have an expense-sharing partnership and are running nearly identical levies in ballot measures using nearly identical language. But the tax burden for Middleton homeowners would be higher than those in Star. Middleton's would cost property taxpayers an estimated $61.72 a year per $100,000 of taxable assessed value. In Star, the estimated cost is $44.79 per year per $100,000. The measures require two-thirds majority votes. Did you know? The taxable assessed value of your property is what's left after you subtract Idaho's $125,000 homeowner's exemption from the full value on your annual tax-assessment statement. The Middleton School District, which hasn't built a new school in 17 years, is asking voters to authorize the sale of $19.9 million in bonds to be paid back over 20 years with a property-tax increase to finance a new elementary school. It would cost about $34 per $100,000 of assessed value in 2026, IdahoEdNews reported. Did you know? General obligation bonds are a form of debt, and the Idaho Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of voters to approve such indebtedness. The sprawling, growing Vallivue School District around Nampa and Caldwell is seeking to renew a $7 million yearly supplemental levy that voters approved and which will expire on June 30, 2026. It would help pay for transportation, teachers and other personnel and programs that state funding won't pay for. But unlike most new levies or levy renewals, this one won't actually raise taxes or even maintain them at current levels. The existing levy costs $76 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, and the new one would decrease that by $11, the ballot measure says. Did you know? Many Idaho school districts rely on supplemental levies to help pay for school operations. They last two years, and they require only a majority vote, not the two-thirds required for bonds. Eagle Sewer District: Incumbents John R. Bennett and James Gruber face Christopher Hadden, Deborah L. Kowalcyk and Angela Stoppello Russell for six-year terms. Vote for two of them. Also, incumbent Tillie Reed faces Miguel DeLuna for a two-year term. West Boise Sewer District: Two candidates seek one seat with a six-year term: Gerald W. Bresina and Logan J. Kimball. Did you know? To save time and money, elections for some uncontested races in Idaho are canceled and do not appear on voters' ballots. Whatever candidates there are win their seats automatically. That's the case in Ada County this election with the Kuna Library District, the Star Sewer District and the Boise Warm Springs Water District. To see what's on your May ballot — and to see if you even have one — type in your name and date of birth on the state-run voter-information lookup page. This will also tell you where your Election Day polling place is. But note: This works only if you're already a registered voter. Ada County has an interactive map where you can zoom in on where you live to see what's on your ballot even if you're not yet registered. But it might not display optimally in some browsers on your computer, including Chrome. Try Firefox or another browser if needed. Early voting opens on Monday, May 5, and runs until Friday, May 16. For early voting, voters can go to any of these sites from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ada County Elections Office: 400 N. Benjamin Lane in Boise. Boise City Hall: 150 N. Capitol Blvd. in Boise. Eagle Public Library: 100 N. Siterman Way in Eagle. Garden City City Hall: 6015 N. Glenwood St. in Garden City. Meridian City Hall: 33 E. Broadway Ave. in Meridian. Library! at Bown Crossing: 2153 E. Riverwalk Drive in Boise. Star City Hall: 10769 W. State St. in Boise. Canyon County Elections Office, 5801 Graye Lane, Building B, Caldwell. Want to vote absentee? You must request a ballot by 5 p.m. Friday, May 9, on the state's site. You must return it by mail or to an election drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, the same time as polls close. The deadline for preregistration has passed, but voters can still register in person on Election Day. Voting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check register-to-vote page to see what you need to bring. Did you know? This is the final election for Ada County's Mobile Voting Unit, which traveled to high-traffic sites on scheduled days to make early voting easier. Launched in 2016, the unit has become less important as the county has increased early voting locations in buildings, County Clerk Trent Tripple says. It will remain available for emergencies. We'll post an Election Night story on the races and ballot measures at updating it with the latest results until they are complete. — Reporter Rose Evans contributed reporting on the library districts and on early and absentee voting. Boise officials violated city code, a court ruled. So they just changed the code Boise-area sheriff criticizes a new Idaho law he says police can't enforce 'It's a dire time': Bernie Sanders, AOC draw 12,000-plus to Idaho rally Teachers, parents give West Ada school board an earful over classroom sign
