Court rules against Boise airport parking project

BOISE – The Idaho Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the city should have sought approval from voters before deciding to borrow money to expand a parking garage at the Boise airport.

The court reversed a 4th District Court decision that had allowed the city to go ahead with the expansion project. The lower court had ruled that the expansion was an “ordinary and necessary expense” that the city, as allowed by the state constitution, could authorize without voter approval.

In a 4-1 decision, the justices ruled the expansion wasn’t urgent, and therefore the city was required to undertake a bond election and get support of two-thirds of voters.

“The city must obtain the consent of the voting public before entering into the proposed financing agreement,” Justice Roger S. Burdick wrote in the majority opinion. Chief Justice Gerald F. Schroeder dissented, without writing an opinion.