It appears that Eagle's "new" Mayor and City Council can't quite see fit to get out of the rut of Business as Usual. In an incredible display of hubris, Mayor Bandy along with Councilmen Guerber and Huffaker voted to increase taxes on its citizens to the absolute maximum allowable by Idaho law. Like the Lone Ranger, Councilman Shoustarian battled valiantly to bring reason and financial frugality to the table but was overwhelmed, scorned, and verbally assaulted during the process. Joining in on the assault against reason and frugality was a belligerent city staff that made it very clear that they had been doing budgets their way for many years – as if to say “and who are you to question what we do and have done for years”! Councilman Semanko saw the light enough to join Shoustarian on one attempt to forego the 3% tax cap increase as being in their words “unnecessary and excessive”, but were shot down by the NAY votes of Guerber, Huffaker, and tie breaker Mayor Bandy.

The City will be publishing the required Notice of Public Hearing and its version of the budget soon. The public will have its opportunity to address the City Council and hopefully show their support for reason and frugality. It will be interesting to see if the Mayor and Council "see the light" like they finally did over the Eagle Water LID public outcry, or if they attempt to bully us into submission as they tried to do with the courageous Councilman Shoustarian.