Gov. Butch Otter has named an eight-member working group headed by former House Tax Chairman Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, to study ways to improve operations at the Idaho State Tax Commission, including how the commission's rule-making process could be improved and whether restructuring is in order. Tax Commission Chairman Rich Jackson will be among the group. “I have a lot of confidence in our four Tax Commission members, but there’s always room for improvement, especially where public confidence is involved,” Otter said; click below for his full announcement. The commission came in for criticism from state senators last year for being difficult to work with, though no specifics were cited; several years ago, a whistle-blower's report raised questions about how the commission handled secret settlements with big taxpayers.

C.L. “Butch” Otter

GOVERNOR

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                                         

January 15, 2014                                                                                                                  

 

GOVERNOR OTTER NAMES WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW TAX AGENCY STRUCTURE AND PROCESSES

 

(BOISE) – Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter announced the appointment today of an eight-member working group led by Dennis Lake, former chairman of the Idaho House Revenue and Taxation Committee, to study ways to improve operations at the Idaho Tax Commission.

“Even the most successful of organizations don’t rest on their laurels. They regularly review their organization and processes for ways to do things better,” Governor Otter said. “I have a lot of confidence in our four Tax Commission members, but there’s always room for improvement, especially where public confidence is involved.”

Besides Lake, the working group will include Dolores Crow, also a former House Revenue and Taxation chairman; Tax Commission Chairman Rich Jackson, Tax Commissioner David Langhorst; Alex LaBeau, president of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry; Ben Davenport, president of the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho; Dan John, retired tax policy supervisor for the Tax Commission; and Tom Wilford, former CEO of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation.

Governor Otter asked the working group to complete its review and recommendations in six to eight months. It will examine such issues as how the Tax Commission’s rulemaking process can be improved and whether its operations would benefit from restructuring.

 

###

---

---