A first-of-its-kind regional town hall brought together local leaders from across Canyon and Ada counties, along with other Treasure Valley communities, to discuss shared priorities and how they plan to tackle the impacts of rap id growth.The meeting was held Wednesday night at Nampa City Hall and was hosted by the Treasure Valley Partnership, a coalition of mayors and county commissioners that has worked on regional issues for decades. Organizers said the event marked a shift toward holding those conversations publicly, with the goal of increasing awareness and influencing state policy. Watch: Local leaders address growth concerns and demand state help Treasure Valley Leaders Demand State HelpWithout modernized funding tools or updated laws or rules, counties and cities can't meet the demands for essential services like public safety, infrastructure and community development, said Kuna Mayor Joe Stear.Much of the discussion centered on House Bill 389, a 2021 law that changed how local governments can raise and collect property tax revenue. Local officials said the bill limits annual budget growth and restricts how much revenue cities and counties can rely on from new construction, even as population growth continues to increase demand for services.Idaho imposed a three percent limit on how much the budget can go up year over year. That's kind of the baseline budget, plus new construction, said Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam.Several leaders said the funding structure has created real-world impacts. During the meeting, officials described situations where cities have been able to build facilities using impact fees or grants but lack the ongoing revenue to staff them including fire stations that remain operationally limited due to staffing shortages. Leaders also said impact fees can only be used for capital projects like buildings and equipment, not for hiring firefighters, police officers, or other personnel. City leaders said growth across the region shows no signs of slowing.But the growth rate of people moving into the state has created challenges for us. Regardless of what you think about stopping development, there are things in place that you can't do that with. We're trying to operate within the rules that have been established by the state of Idaho for all cities, said Star Mayor Trevor Chadwick.Throughout the evening, officials emphasized that many decisions about development, funding tools, and growth management are governed by state law limiting what local governments can legally do, even when residents are frustrated by traffic, school crowding, or infrastructure strain.The town hall also gave residents the opportunity to question leaders directly about development, accountability, and decision-making.When you are asking for growth, we are not out there gobbling up land. It's landowners coming to us saying they're interested in selling their property, said Eagle Mayor Brad Pike. One community member asked leaders, You ask for help can you define what you need us to do?Mayor Chadwick urged residents to stay engaged as local officials prepare legislative proposals aimed at changing HB 389.We are going to run some legislation this year to try and make some changes to 389, and when that happens, the call for citizens is going to be out there big time, he said.Several residents also stressed that long-term solutions will depend on voter engagement and legislative action. It sounds like real change needs to come at the level of the legislature and with who we elect, one community member said.Organizers said this will not be the last town hall. The city of Caldwell is expected to host a similar regional discussion in the coming months.For Canyon County happenings, news, and more join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, MiddletonThis story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less