Boise (670 KBOI News) – Starting July 1st, Idaho cities and counties will have to get voter approval before launching many big-ticket municipal projects, that use Urban Renewal money, under a bill signed into law by Governor Little today.

House Majority Leader Mike Moyle says House Bill 217 a good first step, but more needs to be done to rein in cities and URAs.

“I think if you go back to Urban Renewals when they were originally put in, it was about blight,” said Moyle.  “Now, the cities will tell you they use it for economic development, but that was never what it was intended for.  The problem you have today now, is they use these Urban Renewal districts to subsidize their friends, at the cost of somebody else.”

The law will require voter approval for projects over $1 million, funded 51% or more by urban renewal funds.