STAR, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers have passed three bills aimed at changing how fire districts operate and fund themselves — and Star and Middleton Fire Chief Greg Timinsky was at the statehouse Monday to watch it happen alongside colleagues who came to show their support.
Timinsky and fellow fire officials were there to support Representative Mark Sauter of District 1, who carried all three bills to the House floor.
Timinsky said the bills represent meaningful progress for fire districts across the state — but noted the work is not done yet.
"Public safety in Idaho is suffering today, and so getting these little wins is helpful," Timinsky said.
WATCH | Learn more about the three house bills—
House Bill 765 would give fire districts the option to shift boundaries or partially merge with municipal fire departments, with the goal of improving service where it is needed most. Timinsky explained that the bill restores tools that were removed by House Bill 389, passed in 2020, which took away the ability to annex a portion of another district without merging entirely.
"So if they can service them better for station location or whatever, they can uh annex a portion. They don't have to merge the entire districts together," Timinsky said.
Sauter said the bill gives districts the flexibility to make the right call for their communities.
"If they can see clear efficiencies and a better effective service, they can decide to go forward," Sauter said.
House Bill 766 aims to streamline impact fee collection by eliminating lengthy approval processes across multiple government agencies, enabling districts to access revenue more quickly. Under the current system, fire districts must enter into an intergovernmental agreement with a city or county to collect impact fees. This process requires changes to comprehensive plans and approvals from planning, zoning, and city councils.
Timinsky argued that fire district boards, which are elected by the people just like city councils and county commissioners, should be able to administer their own impact fees. Under the new structure, builders and developers could still buy their building permits from the county or city and pay the impact fee there, with funds transferred to the fire district monthly. The city or county would receive an administrative fee for collecting it.
Timinsky said the current process has been a burden for Star Fire, which operates across a large and complex jurisdiction.
"Star has 4 cities and 2 counties in its boundaries, so having all of those agreements with all those folks was very time-consuming and very expensive," Timinsky said.
Star Fire District covers the entire city of Star, a portion of Eagle, a portion of Middleton, and soon a portion of Nampa as it annexes property on the north side of Highway 20/26, along with unincorporated Ada County and unincorporated Canyon County.
Timinsky also noted that under the current system, some people on impact fee committees do not even live within the fire district — yet are making decisions that affect it. Under the new bill, the DIFACC committee would make those decisions, and all members live within the district.
House Bill 767 would expand how impact fees can be used, allowing districts to cover half the cost of replacing fire engines or apparatus purchased due to growth. Timinsky explained that existing areas within the district are also growing, but House Bill 389 from 2020 removed the budget authority to save money for fire truck replacement — leaving districts without a path to fund aging equipment.
Sauter said the bill is rooted in a simple principle.
"I believe myself and the people in my district believe that growth should pay for growth," Sauter said.
Sauter said the bill addresses a gap in how impact fees can currently be applied.
"Impact fees pay for new things, but once that growth continues and we have our engines wearing out, this will allow some of those impact fees to pay for replacement of that engine that was bought with impact fees," Sauter said.
Timinsky said the strain on fire districts is real and growing. Call volume across Star and Middleton goes up at least 10% every year, and the goal of responding to all calls in 5 minutes or less is getting harder to meet.
"Our goal is to respond to all the calls we possibly can in 5 minutes or less. And it's getting harder and harder all the time," Timinsky said.
Timinsky said the three bills will not solve every challenge facing fire districts — but they lay important groundwork for the future. He added that an ultimate fix would be a broader correction to House Bill 389, so that community budgets can grow alongside their communities.
"Those are simple things that will help every fire district and fire department in Idaho when we're all suffering from lack of funding," Timinsky said.
All three bills will now head to the Senate, where they must pass before reaching the governor's desk.
