Bonner County Republicans OPPOSE May 20, 2025 massive tax increases for local fire districts.
Sandpoint, Idaho — By a vote of 23-3-1, the Bonner County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC) has recommended that voters OPPOSE the proposed fire district tax increases that will be on our ballots at the upcoming May 20, 2025, election.
Bonner County voters go to the polls on Tuesday May 20, 2025 to vote on proposed property tax rate increases for three Bonner County fire districts. Absentee balloting for this election begins the first week of April, and in-person early voting at the Bonner County elections office in Sandpoint is available to voters 9 AM to 5 PM from Monday May 5 through Friday May 16, 2025.
Three fire districts in Bonner County are seeking to expand their budgets by increasing property taxes on the May 20, 2025 ballot. In each proposed levy that will be on the ballot, homeowners in the Sagle, Westside and Northside fire districts will be asked to pay much higher property taxes in order to fund new staff.
Currently, property owners in the Sagle, Westside and Northside districts pay $88, $51 and $20, respectively, for each $100,000 in taxable assessed value each year. If the proposed levies pass, the property tax amounts homeowners must pay will be $122, $122 and $61— an increase of $34, $71 and $41, respectively.
What this means for Bonner County property taxpayers.
In Sagle, for a $500,000 home, homeowners currently pay annual property tax of $440 for the Sagle fire district. Voters are being asked on May 20, 2025, to increase their tax bill from $440 to $610, a 39% tax increase each year.
In Westside, for a $500,000 home, homeowners currently pay annual property tax of $255 for the Westside fire district. On the May 20, 2025, ballot, voters are being asked to increase their taxes to $610 which is a massive 139% permanent tax increase.
In Northside, for a $500,000 home, homeowners currently pay annual property tax of $100 to fund the Northside fire district. Voters are being asked on May 20, 2025, to increase their taxes to $305, a whopping 205% annual increase in their taxes.
Because taxpayers are already being pinched by record inflation and taxes for income, gas, groceries, sales taxes and other property taxes and government fees, now is not the time to increase annual property taxes by 39 to 205 percent! These increases are unreasonable. So, in a vote that passed by an overwhelming majority, 23 members of the BCRCC recommend voters OPPOSE these tax increases. 3 members of the BCRCC supported these massive tax increases, while one member abstained.
When we ask local voters what their most significant tax pain is, we overwhelmingly hear that people in North Idaho want to see property tax reductions. In fact, many people would like to eliminate property taxes altogether so that they can actually own their home instead of rent it from the government. Please spread the word to your neighbors that Bonner County voters need to vote NO on the fire district levy elections that are coming up very quickly on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Also remind them that victory goes to those that show up to vote. So no matter what, make sure you vote!
The Bonner County Republican Central Committee is the official Bonner County organization of the Idaho Republican Party. Its 35 members are elected by Republican voters biennially in the May Republican primary election.