To Act In Haste Would Be Unfair

Sat., Sept. 13, 1997

By D.F. Oliveria daveo@spokesman.com (509) 319-0354

All of us would love a cabin on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Or Pend Oreille. Or Hayden. But most of us can’t afford the taxes from the rapidly increasing assessments on lakeshore properties - never mind their purchase prices.

So, we buy a boat on “easy” monthly payments or join the sunburnt masses at Lake Coeur d’Alene’s north shore.

That’s how things work in resort communities.

Yet, some Priest Lake cabin owners are upset that the state of Idaho wants to charge fair market value for their cabin sites. Many of them, faced with a proposed annual lease hike of 200 percent to 300 percent, are afraid they will have to sell their cabins - if they can find buyers.

It’s hard for the have-nots to sympathize when a problem like this faces these haves. But the cabin owners deserve credit - and a temporary reprieve - for upgrading and maintaining their lots over the years. The Land Board, however, has a better reason yet for scaling back the dramatic hikes proposed for next year.

A miscalculation by the Land Board five years ago set up this month’s showdown with Priest Lake cabin owners in Boise.

The board goofed when it set lease rates at 2.5 percent of the 1992 market value and then slapped a 5.3-percent cap on annual increases for the next 10 years. State officials failed to figure in the effect of soaring property values around North Idaho lakes - up to 60 percent on Priest Lake cabin sites over one four-year period. As a result, lessees now are paying about 1 percent of market value.

Unquestionably, that rate violates the state constitution. Idaho law requires that public land be managed for a maximum return to the school endowment fund. While other states charge 2.5 percent to 5 percent to lease public lands, Idaho schools are losing $1.9 million per year.

Ultimately, the Land Board should allow a reasonable amount of time to raise lease rates to 2.5 percent of market value. A proper phase-in schedule will give leaseholders, who for years have enjoyed unparalleled views and lake access at discount rates, time to sell their cabins if they must do so.

The Land Board, meanwhile, should revisit grazing fees, too. Something’s not right when the state makes more money off 3,200 acres devoted to cottage sites than it does off nearly 2 million acres of grazing land.

Idaho’s school children should be the top priority.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.