Idaho GOP calls for eliminating property taxes, raising Kootenai County concerns

Idaho Republican delegates approved a new platform in Meridian calling for the complete elimination of property taxes statewide, a sweeping position that would force Idaho lawmakers to find a replacement for one of the main funding streams used by local governments and schools.

For Kootenai County, the stakes are immediate. Property taxes help pay for county administration, roads, fire protection, schools and city budgets, and the county is already in the middle of tight budget fights. Kootenai County commissioners approved a $144 million fiscal year 2026 budget in August 2025 that levied 2.5% more taxes, and by June 2026 county officials were warning that even a 3% levy increase could still require cuts to avoid a deficit.

The new platform goes further than earlier Idaho GOP language. It describes property tax as inherently unjust and directs the Legislature to find a replacement funding mechanism. That is a political signal, not a law, but it sets up a possible future fight over whether the state should shift the cost of public services away from local property owners and onto another tax source.

Schools would be among the biggest pressure points. Idaho Education News reported that counties levied and distributed $404.4 million in property taxes for Idaho public schools in fiscal year 2025, which means a full repeal would leave a hole of more than $400 million unless the state replaced the money. In Coeur d’Alene, voters already approved a two-year, $25 million-per-year school levy in November 2024, underscoring how dependent local schools remain on property-tax-backed funding.

Fire protection is under the same strain. Kootenai County Fire and Rescue asked voters in May 2026 for a temporary two-year levy override of up to $5.2 million per year, and the measure passed with 6,471 yes votes, or 62%, to 3,916 no votes, or 38%. A permanent $6 million levy override failed in November 2025, when 5,971 voters, or 62%, opposed it and 3,697, or 38%, supported it. KCFR said it handled 10,591 emergency calls in 2024, up 5.7% from 2023 and 35% over 10 years.

The tax fight also comes after Idaho lawmakers already trimmed property taxes rather than removed them. In March 2025, Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 304, a cut that reduced state revenue by $100 million a year and sent $50 million to a state fund to reduce homeowner property taxes and $50 million to help pay school bonds and levies.

Kootenai County’s own tax history has made the issue more volatile. A 2023 property-value typo caused a $53 million assessment error, delayed tax notices and led to a complaint to the Idaho State Tax Commission, which later said it lacked authority to investigate the county complaint about inaccurate and timely property value information.

The convention vote in Meridian, held June 18-20, came as Idaho GOP Chair Dorothy Moon sought a third term, giving the property-tax push a prominent place in the party’s direction heading into the next round of local and state budget battles.