Greg Lanting is the new president of the Association of Idaho Cities (AIC), having been sworn in for a one-year term in June.
Lanting is a city council member in Twin Falls, and previously served as mayor under Twin Falls’ city manager form of government. He has been on the city council for 10 years. He grew up on a farm/ranch in the Hollister area, taught history, government and social studies for 16 years and was a middle school principal.
He was gracious enough to spend a few minutes answering a few questions.
What are the biggest challenges facing Idaho cities?
The one that is hitting the Magic Valley especially hard right now is the water calls. Cities are being lumped in with irrigators and that is tough to take. Over 70 percent of Idaho’s citizens live in the cities and even more in the areas around our communities. Twin Falls has senior water rights, but not every city does. The association is going to have to stay on top of this issue.
Another issue that comes to mind is economic development – we have just one tool to attract new business and that is urban renewal. We’ve used it very effectively. We need to protect that tool and see what other tools will work for Idaho to add jobs and economic activity. Right now we don’t have the ability to write a big check to attract businesses like they do in Utah. We need more tools because if a community isn’t growing it is dying.
What are your goals as president of AIC?
We need to be proactive. We are one of the more effective lobbying organizations in Idaho. It would be nice for us to take issues to the Legislature rather than always playing defense on issues like eminent domain and urban renewal. Without eminent domain, one landowner can hold you hostage.
We need tools to take care of our aging infrastructure. For instance we got a cut of the recent gas tax increase. It would be helpful to have a local option tax which could be used for infrastructure improvements and to relieve some of the pressure on property taxes. If Twin Falls had a local option tax, we would use it for specific road projects.
Also, many of the small cities rely heavily on the AIC staff because they don’t have local staff like the bigger communities have. That is a service we need to continue to provide.
What is your take on the folks who serve in local governments here in Idaho?
Every local official has to have a passion to serve people. Local officials are there for the sole purpose to serve our residents. We are closest to the people. We get the calls on potholes and other local needs. We are not there for the salary. In most cases, it isn’t much.
My passion is serving people. That is why I got on the City Council in the first place. I’ve observed that one-issue candidates don’t last long.
Still, some parts of public service are fun. I was the mayor when we brought Cliff Bar to town and when Chobani opened. That was fun. As mayor, you get to do lots of ribbon cuttings.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I play quite a bit of golf. I like to play the city course so I can keep an eye on how things are run. At least that is the justification I give. I fly fish some and travel quite a bit. I read for entertainment. Dean Koontz and Stephen King books are some that I enjoy.
Steve Taggart is an Idaho Falls attorney specializing in bankruptcy (www.MaynesTaggart.com). He has an extensive background in politics and public policy. He can be reached atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
