Idaho Republican Party tensions by Steve Taggart

The Idaho Republican Party’s 2026 State Convention was held in Meridian starting June 18th.

Bonneville County Republicans sent 29 delegates and a host of back-up alternates.

One of the primary duties at convention is crafting the Idaho Republican Party’s platform.

The Bonneville County delegation worked hard to put together a platform that reflected East Idaho’s values of limited government, a growing economy, and good education for our kids.

The platform committee rolled out a greatly simplified platform that focused on Republican principles rather than a laundry list of often-obscure proposals (like taking away the right to vote for U.S. Senators which has been a feature of past versions).

North Idaho’s Brent Regan moved to substitute in the old platform.  That passed with most of the Bonneville County delegates voting against.

The most controversial provision added was one pushed by former North Idaho State Senator Scott Herndon. It put the Idaho Republican Party on record calling for the complete elimination of property taxes.

Today, property taxes generate about $2.5 billion that is used to fund local governments’ police, fire and emergency services and things like parks and recreation.  And a portion of that revenue funds local schools, both towards buildings and for enhancing local education funding.

State Republican Chair Dorothy Moon has suggested replacing the property tax with a sales tax increase.  That would take Idaho’s sales tax to10% or more, making it one of the highest in the United States.  It would dramatically boost the cost of things like food, vehicles, clothing and other purchases.

Bonneville County Republicans, including some of our local officials, voted against this effort as a concept without a defined plan.

There is no doubt that Idaho property taxpayers, in particular homeowners, are seeing an increase in property taxes.  The reason is that the Legislature in 2016 capped the homeowner exemption at $100,000.  This break shields 50% of the value of an owner occupied home from property taxes up to the $125,000 overall (after a change in 2021).

That cap has driven a shift.  Statewide, it used to be that owner-occupied homes paid about half of Idaho’s property taxes.  Today, because of the cap, that number has soared to over 70% in most parts of the state meaning homeowners are paying a higher share of property taxes while other kinds of properties are seeing property taxes fall. 

In reality, the Herndon property tax elimination is unlikely to pass the Idaho Legislature.  The impact on residents, schools, local governments and many retail businesses would be too harmful.

The Republican convention did adopt a resolution urging the Legislature to take the cap to $200,000 and then index it as house prices rise.  That would reduce the relative tax burden of owner occupants.

Targeting relief for homeowners is doable and should be advanced.

Steve Taggart is an attorney in Idaho Falls and in the Precinct Chair for Bonneville County Precinct 19.