MELISSA VERSEY / Scroll
Voters will decide on a levy that will increase city property taxes to provide money for road repair expenses. The money will go to fix cracks and to widen and construct new roads in Rexburg.

Citizens to decide on tax to fix Rexburg roads

Ivan DuBois DUB03001@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

The city of Rexburg is able to fund six of the 25 needed road repair projects throughout the city in 2005 with its current road repair and construction budget.

A proposed tax levy increase will add an additional $950,000 annually to the road repair budget and would put all city roads on a maintenance schedule. 

The levy, if passed, would increase city property taxes $93.50 per year for a $100,000 house and $187 per year on a $100,000 business, including apartment complexes, said Richard Horner, chief financial officer for the city of Rexburg.

“No one likes their taxes raised — this will be a sacrifice for myself and my family, but we realize the need,” said Shawn Larsen, mayor of Rexburg. “This money will be an investment in our infrastructure. We are heading for a train wreck and every year we are getting further and further behind.”

A two-thirds majority affirmative vote is required on the levy in the November city elections in order to take effect.

“Our option is to go to the voters and ask them to pass the levy. It’s a community decision,” Larsen said.

City council members support the levy increase and justify the amount asked for. 

“The time is right now,” said Donna Benfield, a city council member. “It’s pretty conservative for what we need to accomplish.” 

Larsen said the city faces challenges of funding infrastructure for a community of 25,000 when a big portion goes untaxed. 

Property owned by BYU-Idaho is non-taxable to the city.

“If a student is living on campus and driving on city roads, I don’t see where they are paying for those roads,” Larsen said. “I just point that out as a challenge.”

Larsen said he supports measures to give local tax options to cities so they can adjust the amount of sales tax locally and gain revenue from sources other than property tax levies.

“With the local option sales tax you capture revenue by people visiting.  You capture revenue from people passing through,” Larsen said.

Rexburg’s property tax levy is lower than those in other Idaho cities, including Pocatello, Blackfoot, Idaho Falls and Rigby. It has been locked since 1995.

The increased levy funds will only be used for road maintenance and will provide addition funds for five areas: crack sealing, seal coating, overlays, reconstruction, widening and new construction.

“If the levy passes, it does not mean there will be all new streets next year,” Larsen said. “It takes existing roads and puts them on a yearly maintenance schedule. It allows us to do the priority projects every year.”

Street funding open houses were held last week at three local schools. The final open house will be Oct. 26 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at city hall. Further information is available at www.rexburg.org.