Op-Ed: A Vote for the Nampa Auditorium District is a Vote for Tax Relief and Smart Policy

By Sebastian Griffin • November 1, 2024

The following Op-Ed was submitted by Nampa City Councilman Sebastian Griffin. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.

Dear Nampa neighbors, as a strong believer in limited government and tax relief, I urge you to vote “In favor” of the Nampa Auditorium District this November.

Our beautiful city is unique in many ways, but today I write about one area in particular. Nampa has both the benefit and the burden of having two key community venues, the Ford Idaho Center and the Nampa Civic Center.

The benefit: these venues host hundreds of events and attract hundreds of thousands of people from across the country each year. In fact, at just the Ford Idaho Center’s Horse Park, 76% of its visitors are from outside Idaho.

The burden: the majority of those attending these shows and events are from out-of-state, causing both the repair and the improvement of the facilities to fall on Nampa’s property taxpayers.

This is where the creation of an Auditorium District comes in.

Currently, our community venues are funded by city taxes, meaning you and I (Nampa taxpayers) are footing the bill. Combined with inflation that is causing everything to cost more, bearing this financial responsibility is not sustainable or fair to Nampa residents, especially when we have a better option that can help alleviate that burden.

Over the past year many volunteers, myself included, have gone door-to-door to gather more than 5,000 signatures from our neighbors. These Nampa residents signed the petition to get the proposed Nampa Auditorium District on the upcoming General Election ballot. Now, Nampa residents who live within the identified Auditorium District boundary get the opportunity to pass this smart and fiscally responsible policy. A vote “In favor” will shift the financial burden away from all our hardworking Nampa property taxpayers and onto those who use and benefit most from our local amenities: out-of-town visitors.

A vote “In favor” for the Auditorium District will enact an up-to 5% fee on hotel room stays within the district boundary. This means visitors who travel to Nampa and choose to stay at one of our hotels will pay a user-fee. Then, that collected fee will fund the improvement and expansion of the Ford Idaho Center and Nampa Civic Center – and Nampa taxpayers will not.

The Nampa Auditorium District is a tax burden relief, pure and simple.

The user-fee funds collected from hotel stays will be managed by an elected board of directors that will be made up entirely of Nampa residents. Decisions on how to use that money will be made by people who live within the Auditorium District boundary. So, those who are from our city and understand our priorities will oversee the decisions that affect Nampa.

An auditorium district is not a new idea. Many other cities in Idaho, have already successfully implemented their own districts to continue to improve their community facilities, all while removing a financial burden from their residents. Nampa now has the choice to do the same.

A vote “In favor” of the Nampa Auditorium District is a win-win situation. It’s a smart investment that relieves tax pressure on our residents while keeping our community venues thriving and competitive. I can’t think of a better solution that benefits everyone in Nampa.

Let’s seize this opportunity to enhance Nampa without raising taxes – join me in voting “In favor” of the Nampa Auditorium District this November 5!