Idaho City, Montgomery Rd. Update

Last Tuesday, at the weekly County Commissioners meeting, the Mayor of Idaho City, and the Boise County Board of Commissioners agreed that Montgomery street is the sole responsibility of the city and not the county. For decades the city and county have debated the ownership and responsibility of maintaining the road. A concerned citizen brought forth meeting notes and other documents from as far back as the 1960s which outlined the opinions of both sides. However, no written agreement was presented. The board thanks this citizen for her tireless work, which helped bring about a final solution.

The crux of the matter is that Idaho State code 53-313 spells out with great detail that roads inside the boundaries of the city are the responsibility of said city. This includes maintenance and repair. As explained by the county prosecutor, Adam Strong, Montgomery Street and all other streets belong to Idaho City. This does not preclude the county from assisting city’s inside the county with matters of maintaining roads.

Short of an agreement that was voted on by commissioners and the city council, there is no question that the road belongs to the city. When asked, Mayor Everhart indicated that their was no agreement and, “It’s seems clear to me that the road belongs to the city”.

Following the meeting Mayor Everhart, having agreed that the matter was settled, indicated that the city’s plan was to return the road to gravel and apply Magnesium Chloride to it as it has other city roads. The county commends the Mayor and his efforts to take action on this matter.