In brief: Council to add forum on budget

The Coeur d’Alene City Council is giving residents an extra chance to comment on the city’s budget in August, anticipating outcry from taxpayers whose property values have skyrocketed.

The council voted Tuesday to have a public workshop sometime the week of Aug. 7 but didn’t set a specific date.

The meeting will follow an Aug. 3 workshop where department heads and the finance director will give specific details on the budget, which could likely total about $60 million. That includes money for nearly 12 new employees including police, fire and park workers.

The final budget hearing, the only one residents normally get, is set for Sept. 5.

Finance Director Troy Tymesen said he proposes taking the entire 3 percent property tax increase that’s allowed by law, which totals about $353,596. Tymesen said that would equate to about $10 for the owner of a $100,000 home because the levy rate, which is used to calculate the property tax amount, is actually going down.

Councilwoman Dixie Reid said its “miraculous” that so many people are interested in the budget because usually only about two residents comment on it.

The preliminary city budget is posted on the city’s Web site at www.coeurdaleneidaho.org. For more information, call (208) 769-2300.

– Erica Curless

Exhibit examines ethnic contributions

The Human Rights Education Institute’s newest exhibit, “Immigration and Ethnicity in Idaho,” will open tonight at a special reception in Coeur d’Alene.

The public reception, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will include immigration stories from local residents. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit will be on display through mid-October at the Human Rights Education Center, 414 ½ Mullan Ave., adjacent to City Park. Exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.

The exhibit “is a celebration of the contributions that Idaho’s different ethnic groups have made to the social, political, cultural and economic identity of Idaho,” said Michelle Fink, president of the institute’s board. “Idaho’s culture did not form overnight; it developed over centuries of experiences and influences of the people that have lived within its borders. ‘Immigration and Ethnicity in Idaho’ is a collage of historical artifacts and photos, personal accounts, and artwork that portray the identity and culture of Idahoans.”

Artwork, historical artifacts and personal accounts featured in the exhibit were contributed by local artists and immigrants, the Idaho Human Rights Education Center in Boise, the Asian American Comparative Collection, and the University of Idaho Laboratory of Anthropology.

For more information, call (208) 292-2359.

– From staff reports