Leslie Van Beek • Brad Holton • Zach Brooks

  The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC, Board, or Commissioners) is the governing body of Canyon County.  Consisting of three elected officials, the Board serves as the county’s budget and taxing authority, its legislative body, and chief executive authority.  Among other duties, the Board enacts laws, ensures compliance of laws and secures professional services for the county. Under Article 18, Section 10 of the Idaho Constitution, two county commissioners are elected every four years – one for a two-year term and one for a four-year term.  State law specifies the procedure for determining which commissioner is to be elected for a four-year term, and which is to be elected for a two-year term (Idaho Code §31-703). The Commissioners are constitutional officers whose authority encompasses both the executive and legislative body for the county.  In general, this authority is described by Chapters 7 and 8 of Title 31, Idaho Code.  As the county’s legislative authority, the Board has the power to enact ordinances, resolutions and proclamations. Ordinances are laws enacted by a local legislative authority. They may govern matters not already covered by state or federal law or may supplement (but cannot supersede) existing state or federal law. They are intended to affect the general public and are typically permanent in nature. Ordinances enacted by the Board are effective only in the unincorporated area of Canyon County unless specifically provided for in state law. A resolution is a formal expression of the opinion or will of an official body adopted by vote in a legislative action. Resolutions are less formal than an ordinance, are administrative in nature, and typically concern internal government operations. Resolutions are usually considered to be temporary in nature, but often have a long-term effect. While both ordinances and resolutions are legally binding, proclamations are non-binding formal public declarations. As part of the executive branch of government, the Board is charged with taking actions and providing resources to ensure compliance with its legally mandated duties and to ensure that the ordinances it enacts are carried out. Such duties include enforcement of land use ordinances and building codes, setting of precinct boundaries, and the budgetary powers of appropriation, among others. The Board is also charged with the oversight of the official conduct of all county officers, though this authority is limited under Idaho law. The Board has additional duties as the Board of Canvassers of Election, certifying true and complete abstracts of all votes cast in all elections. The Board also sits as the Board of Equalization (BOE) to hear property assessment appeals and assure that the market value for assessment purposes has been appropriately established.   The BOE also hears appeals of applications for property tax exemptions. For more detailed information on the many responsibilities of the Board of County Commissioners, please see the Idaho Association of Counties’ Elected Official Handbook.

Click on the link below for the application you wish to download. Planning & Zoning Commission Application Fair Advisory Board Application

The Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to approve the Canyon County fiscal year 2021 operating budget following a public hearing on August 26, 2020. Commissioner Van Beek was the lone dissenting vote. The total approved budget for FY2021 is $103,755,438, which is a nearly one-million-dollar decrease ($995,921) over the current year’s budget. The FY2021 budget represents an ongoing commitment to property taxpayers and includes a property tax freeze from FY2020, meaning no additional property tax dollars were levied to support the FY2021 budget. Please click on the link below to see a more detailed breakdown of the FY2021 budget.

Canyon County FY2021 Tentative Operating Budget 

Idaho Association of Counties (IAC)

Canyon County participates in the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC).  IAC represents Idaho’s county governments before the Idaho legislature and provides services, research, uniformity and coordination among member counties, in order for the county elected officials to serve their constituents better.  Canyon County paid $18,098 in association dues to IAC in 2012.

National Association of Counties (NACo)

Canyon County is a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo), which represents county governments before the U.S. Congress.  Canyon County paid $2,350 for 2012 membership in NACo.

Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS)

Canyon County is a member of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS).  COMPASS is an association of local governments working together to plan for the future of the region.  The agency conducts this work as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for northern Ada County and Canyon County.   Canyon County paid COMPASS $130,872 in 2012.

Treasure Valley Partnership (TVP)

Canyon County is a member of the Treasure Valley Partnership (TVP), which is an active group of elected officials working together to positively manage growth.  The partnership is dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration in creating coherent regional growth.  Canyon County paid $8,646 in membership dues to TVP in 2012.

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of Canyon County was created in 1983 following the adoption of Ordinance No. 83-005 by the Board of County Commissioners.  The Industrial Development Corporation is a public corporation consisting of a five-member Board of Directors, whose purpose is to facilitate economic development and employment opportunities in Canyon County through the use of tax-exempt industrial revenue bonds to finance the project costs of qualified industrial development facilities.  Current members of the Industrial IDC Board of Directors are David Ferdinand, Bob Jacobsen, Gayle Batt, Margie Watson, and Kathy Alder.  For more information, please contact IDC Board President David Ferdinand at (208) 899-9232.