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  • Choose your Precinct Officer – Choose your Republican Party

    Candidates who volunteer to serve as GOP Precinct Officers are not “opponents”. If you’re a republican voter, you have an opportunity to choose one of your own neighbors that will be responsible to do the work of the official Republican party organization. All across the state neighborhood precincts will choose Precinct Officers this month, and those decisions matter. The official Republican Party organization has been growing and becoming more active over recent years in Idaho. People are motivated to defend our liberties in the political arena. The ranks of volunteers who make up the Idaho Republican organization today are mostly full of grass roots citizens who work hard because they want the party to advance their values. Most of the grass roots volunteers who make up the organization want to see Idaho make progress towards lower taxes, traditional family values, and smaller government. Informed people understand that the GOP is a private organization. Voters who affiliate want the organization to be effective because they care deeply about the important principles of the Republican Platform. The only reason for the Republican party to exist is to advance the principles of our platform. Some politicians and special interests want a Republican Party organization that serves their goals. They think that the organization should be a neutral service – almost as if it were part of the government. Many of the establishment politicians in our state prefer the status quo. They don’t rock the boat much for lower taxes, avoid the culture war, and haven’t reversed big government. The ranks of Precinct candidates among those who think that way are mostly full of the politicians themselves or loyal friends and supporters that they’ve recruited. They seek these precinct seats so that they can advance their careers. This year the opposition to the official Republican Party seems to have reached a fever pitch. The party critics are well funded and organized because politicians are motivated to take control of the organization. If you affiliate with the GOP, you have an opportunity coming up. Together with your neighbors, and together with other neighborhood precincts across the state, you will choose the direction of the Republican Party, and that direction matters a great deal. On May 21st, the Precinct Officer candidates on your ballot represent a “choice”. Nick Contos, BCRCC Chairman

  • Honest Volunteers Always Welcome

    Election Season is always an exciting time in Bonneville County and around the state. This year has been even more interesting. There has been a widespread effort of disenfranchised Republicans attempting to take over our local Republican Party. At first, we thought there were just wild rumors floating around, just like there are during many election seasons. Before long we started seeing actual letters and texts that had been sent out on a large scale about a takeover attempt. Some even bragged about the millions being spent to sabotage the local party. This was all done under the pretense of it being a righteous cause to save the party from corruption and extremists. While the personalities of the local party are as diverse as Idaho is itself, the bulk of the Bonneville GOP Central Committee are hard-working, dedicated volunteers that care about serving their community while selflessly sacrificing their time and talents to help promote the Republican Platform and conservative ideals for which Idaho is known. One of the communications from this rogue group even stated that they only had to get a small amount of people to vote for them because of the voter apathy in Idaho, and particularly in Bonneville County. They promised that our voters were naive and would only read headlines and do what they are told. They lied to recruits about why they were asking them to run for PCO seats in the Primary Election. Some recruits were wise enough to come to the local party and express their concerns about this. They were also surprised to find out that our PCOs actually work and put in a great deal of time and effort. They saw the work and engagement of the current PCOs and felt they had likely been deceived by their recruiters. They also learned that there is not a small handful of people directing the affairs and making the decisions of the Central Committee. They learned that the BCRCC operates under strict rules and bylaws that require a majority, and sometimes super majority vote by all the elected precinct representatives. No one person has the power to rule over the local party. The decisions are voted on by the grassroots that represent each neighborhood. The rogue group, trying to run out true conservatives, believes that Bonneville voters can be bought, that the Republican Platform means nothing, that candidates should not be asked to affiliate with the Republican Party to run as a Republican, and they count on you, the voter, to be uniformed and swayed by the millions poured into this false narrative and deceitful effort. The truth is that your local Republican Party welcomes all honest volunteers, and true Republicans, who truly want to work for the voters and promote Republican ideals. We do not pressure candidates to drop out, but help them understand that there are bylaw requirements and actual work to do. We do not require purity tests, but we do require (and have for many, many years) candidates to sign an affiliation form that states they are an actual Republican and gives them an opportunity to list any exceptions they have to the current Platform. Voters have a right to know if a Republican candidate supports the Republican Platform. Many of our most conservative members list exceptions to the Platform and are not afraid to let the voters know where they stand on issues. We believe in transparency. This nefarious group is literally telling their recruits to not engage with their own Party, and that they have their own agenda and will feed them their talking points. This does not sound like a grassroots effort but a push from a well-funded  group (some don’t even live in Bonneville County) to manipulate a private organization that they have no interest in supporting. We hope all candidates have integrity and a desire to be transparent with their voters. We hope that voters are wise enough to learn for themselves what the party is doing, how it operates, and not base their decisions on rumors that have no base in fact. We trust voters to make informed decisions and not be fooled by those who think Idaho can be bought. Honest volunteers that support Republican ideals are always welcome.

  • THE VETTING PROCESS EXPLAINED

    By Curt Papke, Candidates Committee Chair The Bonneville County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC) exists to promote the Republican Platform and to inform voters by providing accurate and complete information on political processes, candidate platforms, and voting opportunities, according to the organization’s Bylaws*. The Candidate Committee gives all candidates on the city, county and state level, equal opportunity to answer surveys, identical to their opponents, to give voters complete and accurate information which they can use to make an informed decision. The information is posted to the BCRCC website. We thank all candidates willing to run and serve in Idaho! The Candidates Committee compiles information using multiple data points from multiple sources, ranging from progressive to conservative institutions. The raw data is compiled and presented to the Central Committee. Once the data is reviewed, the voting members of the Central Committee have the option to make motions regarding the data. Any motion must carry a two-thirds super majority vote before any action is taken regarding candidates. The BCRCC encourages voters to review the process, and the raw data, and make their own informed decision regarding candidates before going to the polls. The BCRCC would like to thank the many volunteers, both in and out of the Central Committee, that have spent  hundreds of hours compiling accurate information as a service to candidates and Bonneville voters. *Related Bylaws of the BCRCC Article 1 2. Central Committee A. The BCRCC is the official Republican Party organization in Bonneville County. B. The BCRCC is the governing body of the Bonneville County Republican Party. 4. Subcommittees B. At a minimum, BCRCC subcommittees shall include standing committees for: i. Recruitment ii. Candidate iii. Elections iv. Communications v. Finance Article 2 1. Precinct Officer (PCO) B. PCOs shall help implement BCRCC strategic plans to accomplish the goals of the Bonneville County Republican Party and advance the principles of the Republican Platform. E. Each PCO shall encourage Republicans in his/her assigned precinct to be registered, informed, and prepared to vote. H. Each PCO shall keep him/herself informed of current issues and monitor the performance of elected officials. I. PCOs shall help voters in the relative PCO’s precinct to understand and be aware of current issues and the performance of elected officials. 3. Central Committee (BCRCC) A. The BCRCC shall vote on motions made by precinct officers or Subcommittees and may debate such motions before voting. G. The BCRCC shall recruit, vet, and recommend candidates for election (a “Recommendation”) to government office, subject to the following: i. No motion may be made to Recommend a candidate unless the fact that such motion will be made is first published in the BCRCC’s official meeting notice notifying the BCRCC members of the intended motion. ii. To receive a Recommendation, a Candidate must receive at least a two thirds majority vote of a quorum of the Central Committee. iii. Candidate Recommendation voting may only be conducted by secret ballot. 6. Subcommittees E. The BCRCC Candidate Subcommittee shall: Gather and compile comprehensive information about candidates seeking office and/or Republican nomination. i. Work to fully inform the party organization as well as Bonneville County Republican voters about such candidates.

  • Qualifications for PCOs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BONNEVILLE COUNTY REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE Date: May 2, 2024 Idaho Falls, ID -- Qualifications for Precinct Committee Officer Candidates The Republican Party organization is made up of Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) who are elected by the republican-affiliated voters in each neighborhood precinct every two years.  For years now, the public’s interest and participation in Idaho’s republican party has been growing, and this year there were a record number of applicants to serve in Bonneville County. As the current Chairman of the Bonneville Country Republican Party, I wish to publicly welcome all PCO candidates – new an old – as well as all others who seek an opportunity to serve the republican cause. The party is an entirely volunteer organization, and the more people we have participating in the party organization, the better the work we can accomplish.  Each neighborhood precinct needs a committee officer, and also needs multiple assistants and other volunteer workers for subcommittees. Questions about qualifications to serve as a PCO were clarified recently, and they boil down to two straightforward requirements: 1.       To serve as a Republican Party leader, one must submit the basic “Candidate Disclosure” form (also known as the Integrity in Affiliation form). This form simply states that the person 1) Has read the Republican Platform, 2) Discloses any significant personal stances that differ from the Republican standard, and 3) Is not an agent of another political party. This simple form has been around for many years. Most candidates seeking Republican nomination or party office generally have no problem with this kind of disclosure form, and voters universally appreciate the transparency. 2.       A Republican PCO candidate or other party official must also have registered affiliation with the Republican party for at least one full year before assuming the position of a leader and decision maker within the organization. This party rule, requiring a mere twelve months of affiliation, is far from strict, and sensible people understand the concept. Being affiliated with the Republican party before serving as one of its PCOs hasn’t been an issue. A check this year confirmed that only one PCO candidate doesn’t qualify. If an unqualified person were to be elected – such as the person this year who only registered as a Republican on March 12 (the day before declaring as a PCO candidate), the committee is glad to hear of his recent conversion to republican ranks, and welcomes his apparent willingness to help do the work needed, but he won’t be able to vote on any of the Central Committee’s decision making until the ink on his Republican affiliation has dried for at least 12 months. *Of note, this particular individual has not returned any emails, calls, or texts from the party. As always, many thanks for our friends and neighbors who volunteer to serve and form an official Republican Party organization. It takes a lot of work to organize and maintain a political party, but without the efforts of these volunteers, there would be no nomination for candidates to seek and no platform for voters to affiliate with. Great patriots sign up for this unpaid service every year because they care deeply about advancing the principles that our party stands for. From the Current Republican Party Platform ARTICLE II Section 3: We believe Primary elections in the Idaho Republican Party should be open to all people who have affiliated as Republicans at least one year prior to the primary election and who support a vast majority of the Idaho Republican Platform. To allow those who have no loyalty or allegiance to the Idaho Republican Party, or its Platform and Resolutions, to select our candidates is simply not proper. MEDIA CONTACT Communications@BonnevilleGOP.com

  • Input Welcomed

    by: Cheryl Papke Claire Pincock contacted me and was reading over the Reports turned in regarding City Planning and Zoning and City Council. She helps create city plans as a part of her Acoustical Consulting job. Let me quote Claire, "We very often have cities as clients and we help them to develop noise elements of their city/county plans. My main job is to ensure that the buildout of their plan doesn’t result in noise issues for existing developments. Noise gets really technical, so if a city is developing noise guidelines or an ordinance and they don’t have a solid background in acoustics they can really mess up their city plan! Our city doesn’t talk about noise in the plan, but during the outreach a lot of citizens talked about noise being a serious recent issue. I’ve volunteered my time with the planning department and city council to tell them about the things I’ve seen that work and don’t work when planning for noise. Too strict with your noise planning and you hinder development. Too loose with your noise planning and you make the community an uncomfortable place to live (and inevitably waste precious officer time with noise complaints)." That gives you an idea of Claire's role. And she welcomes your input. "(Good) planners love it when citizens get involved in these documents, and they’re meant to constantly change and grow. Encouraging the committee and all our constituents to read these documents and send feedback to the planning commission would be a huge service to our city!" Here is the document for you all to go over "Imagine IF" https://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14502/Comprehensive-PlanImagine-IF If anyone would like to contact Claire directely she has given me permission to give out her contact info. Regular Meetings 7:00 p.m. 1st Tuesday of every month City Council Chambers 680 Park Avenue Idaho Falls, ID 83402 CITY OF IDAHO FALLS, CODE OF ORDINANCES https://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1214/City-Code-Section-2-2-Planning-Commission-PDF?bidId= ACTION: It is important to continue to going to local county and city meetings, understanding what is going on in the city where you live and work, engaging in dialogue, and bringing other perspectives to our Representatives. Many of you study issues, and are very engaged, your information you bring to the table is invaluable, stay strong in your efforts and help keep the citizenry informed! In September 1787, Elizabeth Willing Powel approached Benjamin Franklin after the signing of the Constitution and asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” Franklin famously answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Shine the Light Cheryl Papke

  • Good People Unite

    We have the clues to how Colorado “Solid Red” turned blue.  As Presented in the acticle by Epoch Times below. These were incremental steps away from a Constitutional Republic, giving power of ideas to NGO’S.   Recently I was at two very different events and the Mantra is we are “Ruby Red” or that we have solid “Red” voters moving into Idaho.  Let’s not be deceived and find the truth, encourage our Legislators and put the power of “We the People” behind them to stand against NGO’S coming in.  I am reminded of the quote regarding the Titanic Creators, April 15, 1912: 'God Himself Could Not Sink This Ship'.  I have studied the Titanic and it was “man’s error and judgment” to give the order to turn the ship which made the slash into multiple compartments that allowed the ocean to pour in that finally sank the ship.   The hubris of man that he has created the infallible solution.  So I implore everyone to look at these steps that have come in, push back and protect our State of Idaho and the Constitutional Republic of America. State of Idaho Constitution Article 1  Section 1 and 2 Democrats turned Colorado Blue Epoch Times https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/democrats-used-a-bold-strategy-to-turn-colorado-blue-now-the-gop-wants-to-win-it-back-5624966

  • IDGOP Loves the Grassroots

    By Dorothy Moon, IDGOP Chairwoman April 18, 2024 In 1854, Americans from all walks of life gathered in churches, schoolhouses, and community centers to build what would become the Republican Party. Our party has always worked best when authority and legitimacy come from the ground up rather than the top down. My election as Chair at the 2022 State Convention in Twin Falls was a return to grassroots bottom-up leadership after many years of political elites and power brokers calling the shots. As you can expect, those elites were not happy with losing power, and they’ve been trying to claw it back ever since. After spending years preaching unity and demanding that the grassroots fall in line, they revealed themselves as complete hypocrites by immediately attacking me, my staff, and the entire State Central Committee before we had even left the auditorium in Twin Falls. Our staff, Executive Board, and State Central Committee have done a fantastic job of returning political power to the people these past two years in spite of constantly being stabbed in the back by fellow Republicans. In addition to renewed outreach, the Idaho GOP instituted new rules to bring more accountability and transparency to the voters and the Precinct Committeemen who represent them. PCs now have the ability to hold elected lawmakers accountable for not voting according to the principles of the Idaho Republican Platform. Voters will still make the ultimate choice. Now they will know if their representatives truly stand for Republican values. The former leadership doesn’t like this at all. Would they prefer the old way of men in smoke filled rooms deciding who to support or oppose? The former leadership will tell you that we silenced the voices of women and young people. Not so! For many years, the Presidents of three private clubs automatically had seats on the State Executive Board, comparable to the Chairman, Vice-chairmen, and other officers. These Presidents were often elected by only a few people, and membership in these clubs was in some cases not even restricted to Idaho Republicans. The State Central Committee decided that they, along with the appointed Finance Chair, should remain on the board but not vote on decisions. The former leadership would have you believe we kicked women and young people out of the party! Can you imagine? Now, those same former leaders are bankrolling a statewide effort to buy enough PC races to return to power. They recruited candidates throughout the state and supplied them with prefabricated talking points and marketing materials from their Boise headquarters. Any registered Republican can put his or her name in the hat for Precinct Committeeman. This is an unquestionable right. I think voters will be able to tell the difference between a true grassroots representative of the people and a stand-in for elite power brokers. The roots of the Republican Party are the people, not the political elites, and together we will fulfill that promise again.

  • IF CITY COUNCIL MARCH 14

    BCRCC Meeting Report Meeting attended: ___City Council Meeting for 14 March 2024; 7:30 p.m. Reporter: ___F3                                              Date: __14 March 2024 Items discussed/ What stood out to you? The agenda was as follows: 1.0    Call to Order 2.0    Pledge of Allegiance 3.0    Consent of Agenda 4.0    Public Comment:                         None this evening. 5.0    Consent Mayor Agenda  (all of the following items in this section were approved with no comment or discussion as a group): 5.1     Municipal Services; Third Quarter Impact Fee Report;  Bid for pumps and motors for Well 13 project;  Bid for Transfer Switch equipment for Well 13 Project;  Approval of Change Order for Fuel Dispenser Replacement and Upgrade. 5.2    Public Works;  Bid award for Seal Coats for 2024;  Bid award for Pancheri Bridge Rehabilitation 5.3    Idaho Falls Power;  Upper Plant Right Dike Rip Rap Bid Sheet 5.4    City Attorney;  Amendment to Downtown Parking MOU between IF Development Corp. and IF City 5.5    Office of the City Clerk;  Minutes from City Council meetings. 6.0   Regular Agenda: 6.1   Airport:   Approval of taxiway pavement maintenance for 2024.  Crack seal, seal coat for taxiways A, B, and C.  Part of this funding will also go to the Airport Improvement efforts.  Cost is $650,00.00.   Approved with no discussion. 6.2  Municipal Services; Addition to Parks and Recreation fleet, one Groundmaster mower.  The city finds itself mowing and trimming and caring for several canal banks in the city.  Cost is $146,063.33 and was approved with no discussion. Specialty Vehicle Up-Fitting for the Police Dept.  Install new operating equipment in vehicles.  Cost is $1.5 million and was approved.  The only discussion was that it was necessary to support our Police Force in the city.  A local company, Data Wireless Systems,  will do the work.  Discussion centered on doing what is needed to support our Police force, which considering the atmosphere around the country recently, was very good to hear. 6.3  Public Works: Proposed Ordinance Revision for the City Sewers.  Changes being made in response to comments by Idaho DEQ.  Passed unanimously with no discussion.  No costs identified. Amendment to Consultation Agreement with Keller Associates for Rails to Trails Project.  This is for turning the old railway track systems in the city no longer being used into walking paths.  The areas mentioned are by the City Library and the Power Building .  Passed unanimously with no discussion.  No costs identified. 6.4  Community Development Services: Legislative Public Hearing for annexing 1.791 acres in the Southeast ¼ of Section 6, Township 1 North, Range 38 East.  Parcel is at the corner of 65th South and 5th East.  Requested by the City as zoned P, Public Zone.   Passed unanimously with no discussion.  No discussion as a to why this was being done.  P and Z approved. Legislative Public hearing, annexation of 28.408 acres in Northwest ¼ Section 4, Township 1 North, Range 38 East.  Parcel is east of 15th East and 49th South.  P and Z approved the annexation with initial zoning of R2 and R3A.  Discussion as follows: -         Debate over R1 or R2 was most appropriate.  Comments by neighbors wanted R1 as the area is surrounded by R1, and better served by R1.  R1 more appropriate as area has horses and cattle nearby and reduces traffic and will not adversely affect power.  Final vote was for R2. -        The R3A area was cut back and made smaller, as it is a high density, to appease property holders. -        Opinion of Councilors was that the reduced R3A area and R2 area adds variety, and fits into the Comprehensive Plan. Final vote approved unanimously as R2 and R3A.  Passed with the reduction of the area of R3A. Quasi Judicial Public Hearing; Re-zone from L&M, Industrial and Manufacturing, Limited Commercial, to LM and Heavy Commercial of 3.44 acres of Lots 10 and 11, Block 1, McNiel Business Park Division 4, as well as 1.465 acres of the South 1/2 of the East, ¼ of the Northeast, ¼ of the Southeast, ¼ of Section 25, Township 2 North, Range 37 East.  This request comes form the owner, Mr. Rolle Walker, where the current U-Pick Pumpkin Patch and Park are currently located.  The ground currently has two different zoning codes, and Mr. Walker would like the entire area zoned as the same designation, LM, Light Manufacturing and Heavy Industrial.  This will enhance his ability to use the property, and perhaps in the future put in more features. There was extended discussion, and input from local homeowners.  Please note: -         There was also discussion at the P & Z meeting;  this passed in that meeting on a 4 to 3 vote. -        Approval by the Council would allow, under the new zoning, the owner, Mr. Rolle Walker, to build more features and attractions on the property, which the local homeowners did not want.  They are very concerned about more traffic in the area, annoying lighting into the night hours, more noise, and more and more crowds.  Would also allow for year-round operations.  The residents were also concerned about the zoning that would allow heavy commercial, and were against that. -        The council noted that the re-zoning is in line and consistent with the Comprehensive plan. -        The biggest concern expressed by the residents, Council Freeman and Council Frances, and others at the meeting was that the parking is completely inadequate now, during the fall season when the park is open.  As noted above, possible expansion would make that problem even worse.  Rollandet is not configured for parking on both sides during the season, and in fact in  some areas through that section is regulated as no parking, which the residents maintain is ignored.   Parking is available across the street in an area currently undeveloped by the Zoo, but the Zoo leadership has made it plain that that could change.  There is also parking behind the Red Barn lot to the west, on McLain St., which can be used.  This is the road that Burns Bros Concrete is on, and walking there may be hazardous also.  The owner of Burns Bros. stood during the public comment period and supported the owner.  All were concerned that someone walking on that section of Rollandet when the park is open will be seriously hurt by traffic. -         The change was ultimately approved, because the zoning change has nothing to do with the parking situation. -        Hopefully the owner will be sensitive to the parking issues, and all will find ways to minimize risk to pedestrians and homeowners. Dynamics of the Committee/ counsel/ board? (disagreements, division, etc.?) Freeman and Frances voted no.  Council Radford spoke in favor of the Red Barn Park as a good place for community members to gather, and a fun feature, for the local citizens, and a good activity for families in the fall. Action items? (i.e. upcoming events, votes, things we need to be aware of?) Again, as I have noted previously,  we need someone to attend and have input to (during public comment periods) the Planning and Zoning meetings, and review their guiding documents, particularly the Comprehensive Plan that I hear repeated reference to in these meetings, and appears to have a great deal of influence on zoning, growth issues, development, etc.  Or, who does this plan belong to?  Which agency? Additional notes: The Mayor, Mayor Casper was absent, in Washington D.C., with Councilwoman Burtenshaw.  Councilwoman Ziel-Dingman chaired the meeting on this night.

  • IF CITY COUNCIL MARCH 28

    BCRCC Meeting Report Meeting attended: ___City Council Meeting for 28 March 2024; 7:30 p.m. Reporter: ___F3 Date: __28 March 2024 Items discussed/ What stood out to you? The agenda was as follows: 1.0 Call to Order 2.0 Pledge of Allegiance 3.0 Consent of Agenda 4.0 Public Comment: None this evening from the public attendees. However the Mayor discussed something that Council Radford apparently mentioned in another meeting. She was somewhat annoyed that he had commented that the Consent agenda does not include costs of the items, and he felt that this would appear to be hiding this information from the public. The Mayor rebutted that this was not true, and that the cost information, as well as other background information on the items, are contained in a longer more detailed document called the “Packet”, which is available on line for those interested. This was the end of the comment period. 5.0 Consent Agenda (all of the following items in this section were approved with no comment or discussion as a group, and are accepted on one vote): 5.1 Office of the Mayor; Appointments to City Boards and Commissions 5.2 Municipal Services; - Impact Fee Advisory Committee 2023 Annual Report. Considering the issues with this topic a few weeks ago, this report should be read. - Purchase of Superpave Hot Mix Asphalt for Public Works - 2024 Concrete Replacement for Public Works - 2024 Water Line Surface Repair for Public Works - Electrical and Variable Frequency Drive Equipment for Well 13 Project - Treasurers Report for 2024 5.3 Public Works; Bid award for Seal Coats for 2024; Bid award for Pancheri Bridge Rehabilitation 5.4 Idaho Falls Power; - Sugar Mill Substation Upgrade, Transformer Purchase - Idaho Falls Power Board Meeting Minutes 5.5 Office of the City Clerk; Minutes from Special Meeting, Budget Planning Meeting. If available on line, this should also be looked at. 6.0 Regular Agenda: 6.1 Bid rejection; Brodbecks Addition Waterline Improvements 2024. On 18 March Bids were opened for this improvement project. The only bid received was $1.2 million over the city engineer’s estimate. The council rejected the bid on a unanimous vote. The project will be bid again in 2025. The bid was from Knife River. Action items? (i.e. upcoming events, votes, things we need to be aware of?) The mayor announced that in May there would be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new I. F. City Police building which is no completed. There would also be tours of the waste water plant coming soon if anyone is interested. Additional notes: This meeting was very short, and only lasted for 45 minutes, which was refreshing.

  • It’s Urgent, Politics is Urgent

    For as long as I can remember, people have said this is the most important election of our lifetime. Maybe it's true. Maybe it's been true for a while. It does seem as if every year the importance of politics becomes greater. With crushing inflation, brewing international wars, civil liberties under attack, and runaway government promoting misguided values, the situation is becoming more dire. Viewpoints about basic concepts of freedom and society are diverging. Many Idahoans feel this, and several have moved here from other states to escape bad policy and government growth. We can no longer assume that all members of our society share our common values. There is a battle for the heart and soul of our community, but this is where we can effect an actual change. Kudos to Bonneville County! With the candidate filing deadline recently behind us, there were a record number of candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination. Twenty-Four people applied to be state legislators, seven applied for the two open county commissioner seats, seven more are running for congress, and several others applied for other local races. A whopping 95 applicants have volunteered to serve as local precinct officers (PCOs) in the Bonneville County Republican Party organization. While many of our neighboring county GOP Committees struggle to even fill seats, Bonneville citizens will have multiple choices on their ballot for choosing a precinct officer to actively promote the Republican values in our Party Platform. There will be opportunities to meet and speak with these state and local candidates in the coming weeks. To stay informed on these, and other dates, follow the Bonneville County Republican Party Facebook, Instagram, and X pages, or sign up on the website. Interest in politics has been growing. Citizens can follow along as legislation is considered, debated, and voted on. Regular updates appear on many news outlets, and there are multiple metrics in our state now where the voting records of our representatives are scored and graded according to different priorities, platforms, and criteria. Many of these links are found on the Bill Tracker page of our website. This activity shows that citizens are paying attention, becoming active, and are involved in determining their own destiny through self-government. The Idaho GOP Platform states that: “The Idaho Republican Party believes that government works best when its citizens become actively involved. The Party encourages all citizens to engage in healthy debate on all issues that will increase citizen control of government. We can and we must choose our own destiny. The responsibility has never been bigger, but with great responsibility comes great rewards. The reward for us if we participate, and create sustainable outcomes, is that our children and our children's children will live in a community and society which gives them the blessings of freedom and prosperity. That's why Idahoans, more than ever, are waking up, paying attention to politics, and getting involved in their local Republican Party. For more information about how you can get involved locally, visit BonnevilleGOP.com. Beverly Kingsford Executive Assistance, Bonneville GOP

  • Idaho Falls Planning Commission

    Reporter I3 March 5, 2024 Public Hearings 1. APPROVED- Annexation and initial zoning- Central commercial project for property located north of the Mountain America Center east of Interstate 15, south of interstate 15, west of Pioneer Rd. 2. APPROVED- Rezone from I&M Industrial and Manufacturing to HC High Commercial. Located north of Sunnyside Rd, east of the Snake River, south of Pancheri Drive, west of South Yellowstone Ave. 3. APPROVED- Planned Unit Development for the Reserve at Snake River Landing Phase II. Located N of West Sunnyside Rd, east of Pioneer Rd, south of Event Center Drive, west of Snake River. 227 units with 9.96 units/acre well under mandatory of 35 units/acre. It is a community being built by Ball Ventures. R3A zoning. 470 parking stalls, 13 stalls for the clubhouse, and 15 extra stalls. The units will be 3-4 bedrooms. There will be on street parking. It will be built in 5 phases with 1 amenity in the first phase. They will be 2-3 story buildings. It will be a walkable and multi-family development. There will be a clubhouse, walking trails, hot tubs, pool, tennis courts and tot lots. They will be built as duplexes and up to 7-plexes. Side by side with front or rear garages and alleys.

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