More New Laws

Property tax increase

Small cities such as Dalton Gardens and Clark Fork now have the ability to increase their property tax budgets for basic services such as road maintenance.

Gov. Phil Batt signed a bill this week that allows voters to approve up to a 4 percent increase in their city’s property tax budget.

Forty-two Idaho cities were paralyzed when the 1995 Legislature put an annual 3 percent cap on the amount cities could increase property taxes for their overall budgets. The move was aimed at preventing skyrocketing tax increases but resulted in crimping towns that were frugally taxing residents at the time.

These communities can now ask voters to approve a tax increase to pay for basic services such as police enforcement and road maintenance.

Seven Kootenai County cities would be eligible for levy increases: Dalton Gardens, Hauser, Hayden Lake, Hayden, Fernan Lake Village, Athol and Worley. Six Bonner County communities would be eligible: Kootenai, Dover, Oldtown, Hope, East Hope and Clark Fork.

The measure has the potential to cost taxpayers in these 42 cities a total of $11 million, but supporters said only the most strapped towns would approve a tax increase.

Batt had initial concerns about the bill’s price tag, but said those communities needed help.

Haunted houses

Batt agreed that home sellers and real estate agents shouldn’t have to tell buyers if there has been a murder or suicide in the home they’re selling.

Batt signed the measure known as the “haunted house bill” this week.

The law declares that owners and agents don’t have to disclose whether a property is “psychologically impacted,” whether that means there’s been a murder or suicide committed there, that a sex offender lives nearby, that an occupant of the home had some disease or some other problem.

Prospective buyers could ask agents whether the home is “psychologically impacted,” but the seller could decline to answer.

The Idaho Association of Realtors sponsored the legislation.

, DataTimes