Editorial
Growth! Growth! Growth!
It is the main policy issue driving voters to the polls this election cycle. Why? Because city councils and mayors are the ones who can annex land from the county, change zoning, implement future land use plans, and approve developments.
Mayors appoint, with city council approval, all seats on advisory boards including, planning and zoning, and urban renewal. Mayors, or members of the council, also sit as voting members of regional boards, like the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is the federally mandated board that tried to create a traffic management center (TMC) early this year. A TMC would be the precursor for mass transit, and anyone who has ever lived in an area with mass transit knows it always funnels drugs and crime throughout the community. Can you imagine what North Idaho would turn into with a direct funnel from Spokane, and other areas of Washington, via mass transit?
The negative impact of density growth affects more than traffic and the loss of the “small town feeling.” Density growth brings a higher rate of violent crime, directly impacts the schools your children attend, the services provided by the county, and the taxes you pay to maintain those services. Every Kootenai County elected official will tell you how the strains of growth, created by cities without their input, is stressing their abilities to provide services. From the county prosecutor, to the clerk, to the sheriff, they all speak of significant challenges caused by the rapid growth in our communities.
Today is the day to choose. Either you will vote for candidates who promise to change the trajectory of unrestricted density growth in your neighborhood, or you stay home and suffer the consequences of your inaction.
The polls open at 8:00 a.m. today, Tuesday, November 7, 2023, and will remain open until 8:00 p.m. Look up your polling location, grab your picture identification, and go vote!
