Op-Ed: Supporting Fiscal Responsibility: Why we, the Nampa Chamber of Commerce, Supports the Nampa Auditorium District

The following Op-Ed was submitted by Nampa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.

The Nampa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, representing a diverse cross-section of local businesses, non-profits, and community organizations, unanimously supports the ballot initiative to create the Nampa Auditorium District. While we come from various sectors and perspectives, we all agree that this initiative is a critical step forward for the economic health of our business community.

The creation of an Auditorium District will establish a dedicated funding stream through a modest 5% hotel fee on visitors staying in local accommodations. This pay-to-play system ensures that the cost of supporting and expanding our community venues is borne by those who benefit most—visitors, not Nampa taxpayers. This targeted approach allows the city to fund necessary improvements without raising taxes on local residents, that means absolutely no additional costs or taxes on Nampa residents and zero impact on our property taxes.

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Over the last 18 months, the Nampa Chamber Board has supported this initiative as we look to drive tourism into Nampa. Our board is pro-business and having a bustling event center is pro-business. Tourism and business go hand in hand. Further, we see enormous upside of our local tax base finding relief when the Auditorium District is established.

As champions of fiscal conservatism, we believe that this approach reflects sound economic principles. It aligns with conservative values by leveraging private enterprise to drive economic growth while limiting government reliance on additional tax revenues. By shifting the burden away from property owners, the Nampa Auditorium District will help ease the pressure on local taxpayers while stimulating activity in Nampa.

Collectively, we’ve left millions of dollars on the table by not having an Auditorium District. We are overdue to get this across the finish line, and rightfully reduce the tax burden on us, the Nampa taxpayer. The Nampa Chamber of Commerce is asking voters in the proposed area to come together as a community and support the creation of the Nampa Auditorium District. We urge you to vote in favor of the Nampa Auditorium District and support the continued prosperity of our city.

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The Nampa Chamber Board of Directors includes:

• Enrique Rivera, Chair, Northwest Bank
• Amanda Schmitt, Incoming Chair, Callisons
• Jean Mutchie, Past Chair, St. Luke’s
• Kory Wall, Treasurer, Wells Fargo
• Mike Peña, Past Chair, Colliers
• Clint Child, Saint Alphonsus
• Travis Leach, St. Luke’s
• Andrew Luther, Ford Idaho Center
• Rick Murdock, Autovol
• Wendy Rhodes, Stewart Title
• Ashley Smith, College of Western Idaho
• Irma Valdivia, Jalapeños
• Jimmie Wisler, International Minute Press