Coeur d'Alene's Controversial Lake City Development Corporation (LCDC)

On ongoing controversy in our beautiful Lake City of Coeur d'Alene Idaho is the operations of the Lake City Development Corporation (LCDC). What has many area residents up in arms is the manner in which LCDC uses tax increment funding in accordance with Chapter 29, Title 50, Local Economic Development Act of 1988.

As our city council elections approach, a new controversy has arisin and reached hysterical proportions. It is the firing of Jim Brannon, the executive director of our local Habitat for Humanity organization. Minutes before the televised taping of his live debate with council incumbent Mike Kennedy who is charged with overseeing LCDC, Brannon, who is an outspoken opponent of LCDC, was fired.

I have watched the histrionics on both sides of the LCDC fence for over a year as I have tried to understand the issue and take a position.

I see value for Coeur d'Alene in the beautiful projects that have been developed through Lake City Development Corporation. Coeur d'Alene is a beautiful town and tourist destination. Tourists bring big bucks to our economy, as well as fuel sales of vacation homes. Many of those tourists eventually relocate, and feed sales of homes in the area.

But with the way it is structured, I also see the potential for corruption, and the power of special interests, in the way LCDC operates and the unfair shifting of the tax burden for services onto taxpayers OUTSIDE the 729-acre Lake District and 363-acre River District. It just doesn't seem fair.