Letters To The Editor

Don’t pave, we’ll put up with potholes

I’ve spent the past few days polling a cross-section of Spirit Lake residents and for the majority, the “to pave or not to pave” issue is not one of money but of quality of life. Most of us moved to Spirit Lake for its small-town appeal. While growth is inevitable, we don’t want to lose the things that attracted us in the beginning.

From my window, I frequently watch neighborhood children ride their horses down the streets. Some of them take the back alleys to get from their homes to the woods.

Others enjoy the freedom of riding their snowmobiles to the post office during the winter.

It’s widely believed that improving residental streets will be the first step in the erosion of these privileges. The interim city administrator has brought his Coeur d’Alene development experience and while we appreciate his professionalism, we did not buy property in Spirit Lake only to watch it become a miniature Coeur d’Alene.

The majority believe Maine Street does need to be paved to provide for better access to local businesses but they strongly object to a local improvement district that would place a lien upon their property for 25 years. One of my neighbors summed it up best. She said, “With paved streets, people will drive by so fast that there won’t be time to wave anymore.”

It’s the little things that make Spirit Lake special, and we’re willing to put up with a few potholes in order to keep the hectic pace of life in Coeur d’Alene, where it belongs. Rick Tschida Spirit Lake

Let’s increase our thinking, not our taxes

We need two things: Change and critical thinking. Those are my mantras with respect to our local governments.

As to tax increases, it’s simple: First, apply impact fees to those who increase infrastructure costs. Second, use zero-based budgeting - the real thing - not what we’ve had.

Start every budget year with these questions: Do we need this service? Should it be done by city employees, put up for bid by private contractors or both? Do we need everyone who we had last year? Why not a county-wide fire department? Police department?

If we do what we’ve always done, we’ll get what we’ve always got. It’s time to raise the level of thinking, not taxes.

Come on Steve Judy, while you’re being proactive, try being innovative. Vern Westgate Coeur d’Alene

Seems to be an ironic twist of events

It seems kind of funny/ironic that all of a sudden - or at least since Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Judy has taken charge of leading this fine city - we have seen many questionable actions under his leadership. Several fine leaders deciding it was time to move on since Mayor Judy took over, and now after nine years and two tax cuts, Mayor Judy is saying we must increase the taxes every year. Michael Prokop Coeur d’Alene

City administrator desperately needed

Why should we stop at increasing taxes in Coeur d’Alene only 1-1/2 percent per year? Let’s go whole hog, and increase it annually by 20 percent or so!

That way, we can fund the $6 million community center that was voted down last year; the construction of the new library, probably $4 million or so, downtown where it shouldn’t be located; $2.5 million for the reconstruction of Northwest Boulevard with grassy medians so that we can hire several more people to maintain the grass, etc.; $14 million for the downtown improvements the Council and their Downtown Business Association and Urban Renewal District buddies feel will bring prosperity to the “ghetto”; and finally, maybe we can squeeze out a million or so to build that needed fire station on the recently acquired 15th Street property.

Oh, I almost forgot the Government Way improvements as well as the new east-west arterial that we need.

I’m also concerned about the passage of the additional sales tax proposal, which supposedly will pay for the jail addition and reduce property taxes. My fear is that if passed, the city of Coeur d’Alene will seize that opportunity to increase our city taxes while saying that it’s not really an increase to the property owner. Jon Rolfe Coeur d’Alene

Proposed tax increases should be put to voters

Re: Coeur d’Alene city budget. I do not support an automatic increase every year. I would agree with a tax increase now given the fact that there has not been one for nine years, but feel it should be put to the voters, as I feel all tax increases should.

I also am strongly in favor of impact fees for new subdivisions to pay for the increased numbers of police, firefighters, garbage/sewer/utilities and other personnel needed to service these new areas.

I own the house I live in, in downtown Coeur d’Alene. I’m strongly in favor of revitalizing the downtown and remodeling older houses downtown instead of paving over the prairie and passing on those costs on to current Coeur d’Alene residents.

I believe local people feel that each penny spent by city and county governments needs to be carefully spent and proven cost-effective. Proposed large expenditures should be put to a vote - the large expensive County building built a couple of years ago was not put to a vote as I recall. Nancy Mertz Coeur d’Alene

City streets badly in need of paving

Re: Spirit Lake streets. We attended the last community meeting regarding the proposal of paving streets in Spirit Lake and are in favor of the project.

Unfortunately, we live just outside the city limits in the impact area. I have an elderly aunt who lives in the city but in an adult home so is not a property owner and has no vote in the matter either.

The streets are terrible, and I can’t imagine people being willing to put up with the driving conditions as well as the dust! The proposed local improvement district seems very reasonable, and I am surprised that property owners are resisting it as the city is willing to pay for water and sewer lines and work with people to meet special needs.

Hopefully, those attending that are so vocal are actually among the minority. Linda Pendleton Spirit Lake

Taxpayers’ feelings not heeded by city fathers

The majority of the property owners who will be affected by the Kiwanis Park believe it was a done deal before it was ever presented to the Post Falls City Council. Why would they turn down a projected tax base? Even though it isn’t in the best interest of all Post Falls residents?

Also, some of the people whose property backs up to the park believe it was misrepresented as always being a natural area. Our property doesn’t back up to the park, but we feel we will be directly affected by the noise, foot traffic, as well as an increase in car traffic, and of course the vandalism that will go along with the development.

Past experience with the Post Falls city fathers (if they can be called that) show that if they think it’s the best way to run the city, it’ll happen no matter what the taxpayers want. Martha Hanks Post Falls