[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6536440,"mediaKeyId","3795813-db8d114cdef18f8a5d94a6e64a0a42c9","parentId",3795813,"title","Caldwell workshop debates property‑tax constraints, fund‑balance uses and ballot options as city finalizes FY26 budget","audioSeconds",2153,"startMs",3173000,"endMs",5326000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3795813-db8d114cdef18f8a5d94a6e64a0a42c9&start=3173&end=5326","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3795813-db8d114cdef18f8a5d94a6e64a0a42c9/thumbnail_3173000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6536440/Caldwell/Canyon-County/Idaho/Caldwell-workshop-debates-propertytax-constraints-fundbalance-uses-and-ballot-options-as-city-finalizes-FY26-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536440-d97b88360b303b06d796137d39472c23/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156272&Signature=EWJ66Jt6deuW7S4szl15jP3fJjNSOcQaBnKuwdRR5ynTt3VUNqLc51Cth63eG9mXTr46Z31aO~c24hwYeHq9ztI0WTyI1Hs71lxlirhymKcFcmE~fLUvNG~mUKcVwLoo9LrH8W3K~JSiq7V8fU30uKrCGdJwQdMuPgN~DQJMYytuSgVOAdonwTiL3CMA89K7yDMubXuelj5Vf0n7NcLpd2T7K~RmpVjUzCOclur2wtdN3WLOHAdb6ZiY5oFuPQurftsEkFyjH5GMg9pqF4t0XJRjl9QrUD~GWZ0JvdOyVop83rSeAX28kD1z2RPYfAMO2wXD~m1tCAglnRt4SQ6Spw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Caldwell","date","2025-06-13T00:46:22.857Z","article","Raelynn, a member of the city's finance staff, told the council at a budget workshop that House Bill 389 materially changed how Caldwell can grow property‑tax revenue and that the law's mechanics have a compounding effect on the city's long‑term levy capacity.

\"House Bill 389 did a lot of things to change how property tax was calculated,\" Raelynn said in the workshop, explaining the bill affected the preliminary levy rate, new‑construction recognition and imposed an 8% cap that limits the city's ability to increase tax revenue from growth.

Why it matters: Council members were presented with a projected preliminary property‑tax budget and options to address a revenue gap in public safety budgets. Staff described a roughly $1.6 million combined operating shortfall across police and fire (police about $1.0 million, fire about $600,000) for the coming fiscal year and explained short‑term and longer‑term tools the council could consider to close gaps.

Key numbers and constraints

Finance staff presented preliminary numbers and the allocations staff planned to make among departments. Staff said the city's preliminary levy base for FY26 was about $31.5 million (total levy capacity shown in the worksheet) with components including a property‑tax replacement payment (~$254,000) and an urban‑renewal related adjustment discussed as roughly $442,000 in staff materials.

Options staff outlined

Raelynn and other staff walked council through a menu of options:
- A one‑time property‑tax rebate (proposal examples in the discussion targeted seniors) using excess FY25 fund balance (council talked about roughly $750,000 set aside for a rebate); staff noted that would reduce fund balance and is not an ongoing revenue fix.
- Spending excess fund balance on capital: staff proposed creating a city building/capital fund (staff mentioned a potential $3.0 million target) to set money aside for large building needs such as a future library, senior center, police facility repairs, or an airport tower commitment; transfers to capital funds are generally treated as one‑time commitments and are not typically reversed.
- Levy options: staff summarized three levy tools — a temporary levy (simple majority, up to two years), a 0.004 levy rate override (requires 60% voter approval), and an ongoing levy override for a specific dollar amount (requires supermajority). Staff estimated taking a full 1% of foregone would add about $317,007 to the budget if the council chose that route and followed public‑notice requirements.
- Fee and administrative changes: staff proposed creating or adjusting administrative fees and examining payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑tax (PILOT) arrangements with tax‑exempt entities as longer‑term revenue possibilities. Staff said some fee changes could take until October to implement and require administrative work.

Council discussion and tradeoffs

Councilors asked whether one‑time fund uses should be spent now or held in reserve. Some council members favored preserving excess fund balance to cover future capital needs and uncertainties; others supported targeted one‑time uses. Council debate repeatedly noted the risk of relying on building permits and sales tax forecasts to balance ongoing operating expenses.

Council members also discussed putting a voter question on the November ballot to gauge public support for an ongoing levy override for police and fire, noting the ballot filing deadline is in August; staff recommended further work on question language with the city attorney before a formal decision.

What was decided and next steps

No final fiscal policy decision was made at the workshop. Staff said they will refine numbers, update allocations as final property‑tax figures and rural contract amounts arrive, and bring back recommended ordinance language and draft ballot questions for council consideration prior to August deadlines. Staff also advised caution about using one‑time fund balance for ongoing operating costs and suggested prioritizing capital and short‑term fixes while developing longer‑term revenue strategies.

Ending

Council members closed the workshop by asking staff for: (1) a prioritized list of discretionary capital and operating items that could be delayed; (2) refined revenue estimates and fee‑implementation cost analysis; (3) draft ballot‑question language for levy options. Staff indicated they would return with those materials ahead of the public hearing and final budget adoption.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025/6/12 - City Council Budget Workshop","oneSentenceSummary","City staff briefed council on how House Bill 389 and recent revenue patterns limit property‑tax room, outlined short‑ and long‑term revenue options (levy overrides, foregone, new fees), and proposed one‑time uses of excess fund balance including a potential city building fund and a property‑tax rebate program.","taxTitle","Caldwell, Canyon County, Idaho","taxId",4130,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6536445,"Caldwell Fire Department asks council to fund staffing, training and new facilities to keep pace with growth",2190,284000,2474000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3795813-db8d114cdef18f8a5d94a6e64a0a42c9&start=284&end=2474","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3795813-db8d114cdef18f8a5d94a6e64a0a42c9/thumbnail_284000.jpg","/articles/6536445/Caldwell/Canyon-County/Idaho/Caldwell-Fire-Department-asks-council-to-fund-staffing-training-and-new-facilities-to-keep-pace-with-growth","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536445-d51c835fb399bbc98b30260648389a33/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156272&Signature=BsspXH5GWkLNIP72UWJgqDBVGdFBEh5zXre~lDh5qRdqS~jB0ic0nfnxeluHjy3fHUnzlm8nMNMKlOoSSqUv6tyI8SNuegACxM3LizPHVWZmujfF2cRVxqRmFjWbG9J~FbK9oO3aKufM1-HZMoJ-oCHLtCReDRA50BYanWi-s4Xw-gaoIJZ9DQFhJfZPS-M4ZIzo6jS3g9Jf8XK~ZUrWj-C13PObfDuL2dHWO6AB0AGQpw0YvxM0wgbOUNMOQvtnRCdrjVNXgw28mZo8s-S7FJZ~Ld1a8bTpRRhmqS8qYaE5wQf0g1d~b41bR~zVVyucZ1RNo2yRMR7J-2g1lDf5Ng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caldwell Fire Chief Danos told the City Council at a budget workshop that the department needs more people, training and facilities to keep up with fast population and building growth.

\"We're a little understaffed and we're a little under stationed,\" Chief Danos said, and described current daily staffing as \"16 personnel is our minimum daily staffing and 22 is our maximum daily staffing.\" He said Caldwell firefighters handle about 8,200 emergency incident numbers a year — roughly 65% medical calls and 35% fire — and that multiple‑unit responses raise the department's unit responses to about 10,100 annually.

The fire chief outlined personnel and capital requests for fiscal year 2026 and beyond, including adding an EMS training captain and three suppression captains to prepare leadership for a future Station 4, and a phased hiring plan that could require nine additional personnel in a future year to complete Station 4 staffing. Danos said Station 4 should be operational \"by '27 or '28,\" but that opening will be phased so the station is fully operational on day one.

Why it matters: Caldwell is among the fastest‑growing cities in the state, the chief said, and growth increases call volumes, travel times and the need for local fire coverage. Danos noted the city's current Idaho State Rating Bureau (ISRB) public protection classification is a 3 on the 1‑to‑10 scale used to set homeowner insurance rates and said investments could move the rating to a 2, which can reduce residents' property insurance costs.

Funding sources and grant dependence

Danos told council members the department's funding mix includes property tax revenue, developer impact fees and a rural fire services agreement that generates roughly $3,000,000 in revenue for the department; about $1,000,000 of that is expected to cover staffing costs in the next fiscal year. He said impact fees have been used to fund Station 4 and to purchase Engine 14.

The department is also a participant in the federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant program; Danos said Caldwell was a SAFER recipient whose award ends in February 2026 and the department is applying again. He and staff stressed that some planned hires and the department's ability to phase staffing will depend on SAFER funding decisions.

Training, equipment and capital requests

Chief Danos described a suite of capital and operating requests:
- $700,000 for a public safety training site (including $150,000 for perimeter fencing, $150,000 to extend a water main and install a hydrant, $400,000 in materials/containers to build training structures, $50,000 for classroom furnishings, and $75,000 for a telehandler). Danos said using department personnel to build parts of the site reduces overall cost compared with contracting the work.
- $550,000 for a logistics facility — a heated metal building to store reserve apparatus, bulk supplies and training apparatus to reduce wear on station space and lessen backing accidents.
- Equipment and PPE replacements, including dual‑compliant wildland/extrication coats, turnout gear replacement with shelf‑life concerns, and a turnout gear extractor for Station 2.
- An equipment standardization request of $65,000 to complete apparatus equipment standardization and finish technical rescue equipment on Truck 11.
- A technology transition from legacy in‑vehicle tablets (quoted at about $4,500 per unit) to iPads (roughly $500–$800 each) to reduce replacement costs and improve GPS accuracy.

Danos also proposed an enhanced learning management system and expanded live‑fire, officer and EMS training to build in‑house capabilities and reduce reliance on neighboring agencies for some certifications.

Staffing and cost projections

Danos said the department is recruiting for a vacant deputy chief of administration position and has increased retention through compensation and in‑house training. He estimated that fully staffing a new fire station could cost about $2.2 million (his characterization: \"a safe figure\" for staffing a station), and that the SAFER grant's lapse would create a significant budget effect — the department assumed SAFER funding in its planning.

Dispatch and interoperability

The department proposes a $100,000 contract line item for Canyon County dispatch to cover increased costs and to formalize deliverables including run‑card adjustments, station learning system management and adherence to an NFPA dispatch standard referenced in the presentation. Department staff said a dedicated fire/EMS dispatcher would reduce multi‑discipline dispatch delays and shorten out‑the‑door times for emergency units.

What council asked and next steps

Council members asked about the mix of funding, whether impact fees and the rural contract cover the proposed costs, and how long capital funds would take to accumulate. Danos said the department has some special revenues — fee revenue from standby events, nuisance alarms and state hazmat call agreements — and reiterated reliance on SAFER and impact fees for personnel and station costs.

Council members also discussed timing and alternatives for capital investments. The department will provide additional detail as staff and finance refine contract numbers and grant outcomes before the council's public hearings and final budget adoption.

Ending

Chief Danos closed by asking council members to consider the department's phased approach to growth, which he said aims to open stations operationally ready and reduce overtime and equipment strain. \"As our community grows and relies more on the fire department, we want to make sure they're compensated well, they have the best tools and equipment, the in‑house training,\" he said. The department's presentation concluded and staff stood for questions.","At a city budget workshop, Caldwell Fire leaders told council members the department is under‑stationed and under‑staffed amid rising call volumes and requested funding for personnel, a training site, logistics building and equipment, while noting reliance on impact fees, a rural district contract and competitive grants.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Caldwell workshop debates property‑tax constraints, fund‑balance uses and ballot options as city finalizes FY26 budget

Caldwell Fire Department asks council to fund staffing, training and new facilities to keep pace with growth