Torn-Down Billboards Still Profitable

The House on Friday passed a law that’ll force taxpayers to compensate billboard owners for income lost when the government requires signs to be removed.

The bill now goes to Gov. Phil Batt, who vetoed similar legislation last year.

The measure, SB1161, requires that the billboard owner’s income stream be taken into account when figuring the value of a sign during condemnation proceedings.

That gives billboard owners special status under the law that no one else has, the Idaho Transportation Department says. Department right-of-way official Leonard Hill said at an earlier committee hearing on the bill that current law allows courts to use any of the three standard methods to determine value: cost, market and income.

He estimated that the bill will cost ITD $210,000 a year.

The legislation was proposed by Idaho Outdoor Advertising, a Boise-based billboard company that has had a number of court disputes with ITD over such cases.

Rep. Frank Bruneel, R-Lewiston, said Friday, “I believe this is fair and just legislation that affects individual property rights.”

“All this does is level the playing field,” said Rep. Chuck Cuddy, D-Orofino.

The bill has a number of changes from last year’s version, including deletion of a clause that declared any sign that had been standing for five years to be “legally placed” even if it was illegal when it was erected.

Hill and representatives of counties and highway districts tried to persuade a Senate committee earlier to amend the bill to take out the income clause, but lost on a close vote. The bill then passed the Senate on an 18-17 vote.

The House was more favorable Friday. Said Rep. Lee Gagner, R-Idaho Falls, “You’re interrupting an income stream.”

Said Bruneel: “It’s an investment they have made.”

Rep. Jim Stoicheff, D-Sandpoint, said, “This would be a fair move if we had an amendment in there that said if a company’s losing money, then we get to take that much off.”

Stoicheff was the only North Idaho representative who voted against the bill, which passed the House 62-6.

, DataTimes