Understanding Sandpoint’s Nov. 3 local option tax ballot question

By Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm
Reader Contributor

If you’ve followed my time as mayor, you know I’ve focused on investing in Sandpoint’s infrastructure and catching up on maintenance and repairs that have been put off over the years. Our water lines, sewer system, streets and sidewalks all need attention. Much of that work goes unnoticed because it happens underground. Roads are different — we see, feel and use them every day.

Roads are also what I hear about most from residents. People want to know when their street will be fixed, why the pavement keeps getting worse and why the city can’t do more. I understand the frustration. Here’s where things stand and what voters will consider on Nov. 3 to address the situation.

The ballot asks whether Sandpoint should adopt a 1% local option sales tax for streets, sidewalks and transportation connections.

My purpose here is to explain the proposal so you can make your own decision.

If approved, the tax would run from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2036. After collection and administration costs, 75% of the money would go toward streets. The other 25% would go toward sidewalks, crossings, bicycle facilities, pathways, trails and transportation connections.

You may remember a similar question in November 2024. More than half of voters supported it, but it fell short of the required 60% needed to become law. According to the Idaho State Tax Commission, 22 other Idaho communities have voter-approved local option taxes in place.

When someone asks about fixing a street, it gets a little complex. For example, filling a pothole addresses an immediate problem, but it doesn’t necessarily fix the surrounding pavement or damaged material underneath. For other streets, rebuilding a road is required and that often means more than laying asphalt. Crews may need to replace damaged material underneath, rebuild the base and fix drainage.

Timing matters, too. Sometimes treating the surface while a road’s base is sound can help it last longer. If we don’t perform this maintenance, deeper damage often occurs and bigger repairs become necessary. We attempt to balance maintaining decent roads with rebuilding failed ones; however, a dollar only goes so far.

The city’s 2020 Pavement Condition Study examined about 51 miles of streets. The average condition score was 61 out of 100, and 21% were rated “poor” or “very poor.” Those numbers describe conditions six years ago and the repair backlog has grown since.

Our Multimodal Transportation Master Plan identified more than $100 million in transportation needs over 20 years. That includes road, walking and bicycle improvements — far more than our current annual funding can cover.

With our current regular, ongoing funding, we can rebuild roughly one or two blocks a year, depending on the work involved. Grants and one-time budget allocations can help us do more in some years, but we can’t count on them every year.

Residents also ask why we can’t move money from elsewhere in the budget. Council can change spending priorities, but some funds are legally restricted. Water and sewer payments can only support those systems. Other money pays for police, fire protection and park maintenance. In short, the whole budget isn’t available for streets, and cities are limited in ways to raise substantial new, ongoing road revenue.

Another question is how much of the tax would be paid by people who live here and how much would come from visitors. Sandpoint serves as a shopping and service center for nearby communities, as well as a destination for tourists. Everyone making a taxable purchase covered by the proposal within city limits would pay the same 1%, whether they live in Sandpoint or are here for work, shopping or vacation. Ponderay has a similar 1% sales tax in place today. 

Our past local sales tax records show that taxable sales increased during the busier tourist months.

So, what streets would be fixed first if the ballot measure is approved? Well, approval wouldn’t guarantee repairs to a particular street. Project choices would consider condition, safety, drainage, utility work, readiness and funding. If the measure isn’t approved, the tax won’t take effect. Road work would continue with existing funds, available grants and future budget decisions.

You can read the ballot language at bit.ly/SandpointLOT and find voting information at bonnercountyid.gov/Elections-Home.

I hope this helps answer some of the questions I hear about our roads and what the proposal would mean. The decision on Nov. 3 belongs to Sandpoint’s voters.

Jeremy Grimm has served as Sandpoint mayor since 2024, served as Sandpoint city planner from 2007-2015 and is owner/land use planner at Whiskey Rock Planning + Consulting.