Gov. Otter advocated eliminating Idaho's business personal property tax in his State of the State address early this month.
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter began and ended his talk to the Idaho Chamber Alliance this morning by cheering Chobani, the Greek yogurt manufacturer that opened a plant in Twin Falls last month. But the real subject of his talk was the 2013 legislative session, and his priorities for the months ahead.
One of those priorities is to establish a plan for eliminating Idaho’s business personal property tax. “We have a myriad of options,” the governor said, before appearing to float one of his own. Continue Reading →
It was a busy week at StateImpact Idaho! We started our deep-dive into Idaho’s business equipment tax called the personal property tax, which you’ll likely hear more about as the legislative session progresses. Here’s the five posts (plus a bonus), that got the most clicks, comments and shares this week:
A robotic arm picks up prop shafts during final inspection at the Mennie Machine Co. in Mark, Illinois.
The Associated Pressstarted rolling out a three-part series this week on jobs and the impact the recession and technology have had on workers around the globe. Here’s an excerpt:
Five years after the start of the Great Recession, the toll is terrifyingly clear: Millions of middle-class jobs have been lost in developed countries the world over.
Allstate's corporate headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois.
Allstate Insurance announced plans last week to expand its call center in Pocatello, saying 225 jobs will be added.
The insurance company already operates a call center in the area with 226 employees. The new employees will work in Allstate’s roadside services division, taking emergency calls from customers around the nation. Continue Reading →
Power County Hospital is funded in part by taxpayer support. A good deal of those taxpayer dollars will disappear if lawmakers eliminate Idaho's business personal property tax.
This week, we’re devoting some time to understanding Idaho’s business personal property tax. Ending that tax is a priority for the governor and some of the state’s biggest businesses. But it generates millions for local government. Yesterday, we explained what the personal property tax is. Today, we go to Power County, in eastern Idaho. Local leaders say getting rid of the tax could have serious effects.
Inside an equipment room at Micron in Boise, Idaho.
Boise-based Micron and two of its subsidiaries are three of the top five business personal property tax payers in Ada County.
In 2011, Micron paid more than $2.9 million. MP Mask Technology Center, a joint venture between Micron and Photronics Inc. paid almost $1 million, and shuttered Micron joint venture Transform Holdings Inc. (Transform Solar) paid nearly $440,000.
So, Micron stands to gain the most in Ada County, and arguably the state, if Idaho lawmakers nix the personal property tax. Micron knows it. Continue Reading →
The Idaho Statesmanreports Boise Cascade LLC plans to go public after nine years as a privately-held company.
Eighty percent of Boise Cascade is held by Madison Dearborn Partners, a Chicago private-equity firm. The status change will make money for Madison Dearborn, spokesman John Sahlberg said. Continue Reading →
Debbie and Joe Giordano, of Powell's Sweet Shoppe in Boise
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and many of the Idaho Legislature’s Republican leaders are in agreement: something has to happen on the personal property tax this session. And by “something,” they mean a plan to get rid of it. But there’s a problem. The tax generates $140 million dollars each year for local government. In this story, we start at square one: explaining this thing called the personal property tax.
In 2011, more than 53,000 Idaho companies paid the business personal property tax. Half of those businesses paid less than $90. Who stands to benefit from getting rid of the tax? Click around the map to see the top five payers in each county. The darker a county is shaded, the more reliant it is on the personal property tax. Continue reading →
Idaho college and university presidents spent the first part of this week making their pitches to the Legislature for funding.
The common theme: as more Idahoans seek a college degree, the state needs to invest more in higher education.
Boise State president Bob Kustra told the Legislature’s budget panel, a decade ago, the university received about one-third of its budget from the state. Now, it’s closer to one-fifth. Kustra said that means the school, like many across the region, have to look for other sources of funding. He says tuition is a big component. Continue Reading →
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