Argument among Idaho elected officials breaks out over expenses at America250 meeting

A late, unexpected request for additional money made by two of the warmup acts scheduled to perform at the upcoming America250 in Idaho Capitol Celebration in Boise played a role in setting off a contentious public argument between two statewide elected officials Wednesday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. 

For more than a year and a half, members of the America250 in Idaho Advisory Council have been planning local celebrations that are scheduled for July 4 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being adopted in Philadelphia in 1776.

With less than a month to go until the big events, the advisory council held one of its final meetings Wednesday to plan, coordinate and organize the America250 in Idaho celebrations, which are taking place in Boise and in local communities across the state. 

During Wednesday’s meeting, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, who is a member of the advisory council, made a motion to approve spending an additional $10,000 for unexpected expenses, including an additional $3,000 specifically requested by musicians Chad Marvin and EllieMae for the Boise celebration. 

McGrane also said there were additional unexpected budget considerations as well, including $1,600 for RV rentals to be used as “green rooms” for the performers and their equipment, $1,500 for Ada County Paramedics to staff the event and $6,000 to provide free water for the public.

Songwriter Josh Ritter to headline Idaho America250 celebration in Boise

McGrane said the council has the funding available and the expenses were unexpected in nature, but came along with planning a large-scale event that he said could attract more than 20,000 people to the grounds surrounding the Idaho State Capitol. 

“We’re now at that point in it where we’re running up against the things, the unforeseen, and the issues that pop up (with planning large public events),” McGrane said. 

But Idaho State Treasurer Julie Ellsworth, who is also a member of the advisory council, said she has been “getting a lot of heat” for the amount of money the America250 in Idaho Advisory Council has been spending and balked at McGrane’s request. Ellsworth then publicly questioned McGrane’s motivations for the money. 

“There have been expenses that have been caused that have seen no fruition, that I believe have not really brought forth anything for this America250 in Idaho (celebration) in contracts and expenses – a lot of them you’ve been involved in, and ironically they equal about $10,000. And I’m just wondering if this is just to offset some of the work that was never approved but done, and somebody demanded money for?” Ellsworth asked McGrane during the meeting. 

McGrane responded immediately, and then offered a line-item breakdown of where the $10,000 would go toward, noting that any unused funding would be returned to the committee.

“First of all, I find it offensive that you would suggest that,” McGrane told Ellsworth. “I think all of the work that was done was specifically for your office, and so … I’m not willing to engage unless you have anything specific that you want to infer or imply.”

“I think there’s been extensive funding for some of your programs, and I don’t see this as a healthy debate,” McGrane added. “My focus, and the team in our office’s focus, is to make sure Idaho gets to celebrate America 250. This funding is specific to this, and I think the inference that there’s a blank check is offensive.”

State officials said the advisory council has $54,967.53 in available funds to work with – enough to cover the $10,000. 

Idaho musicians scheduled to play at America250 event in Boise

Marvin co-wrote and recorded “Esto Perpetua” an America250 in Idaho song that was already financed by the America250 in Idaho Advisory Council – at Ellsworth’s recommendation. Marvin and EllieMae have been announced as artists who will perform before headliner Josh Ritter during the America250 in Idaho Capitol Celebration, which is scheduled to take place July 4 at Cecil D. Andrus Park in front of the Idaho State Capitol. 

In addition to Ritter, other performers scheduled to perform at the America250 in Idaho Capitol Celebration include the Afrosonics, as well as Jeff Crosby and Willy Braun, according to members of the advisory council.

However, members of the advisory council said Wednesday that while the announced performers have agreed to perform July 4, contracts with the musicians have not yet been signed. Committee members said that the local company Duck Club Entertainment, which created the annual Treefort Music Festival in Boise, is finalizing the contracts with the performers. 

The argument between Ellsworth and McGrane broke out a few moments after McGrane told the advisory council that Idaho was trying to avoid some of the issues with cancelled performances that have hampered separate, national America250 celebrations in recent weeks. 

“I don’t know if you’ve watched any of the news about the national event, but performers have been a thing on the national stage, and we’re doing everything we can to make it not a thing in Idaho, and we’ve got great performers,” McGrane said. 

After Ellsworth and McGrane publicly clashed Wednesday, Sen. Ben Adams, R-Nampa, restored order in the meeting and made a successful motion to approve spending the additional $10,000 on America250 in Idaho celebrations. 

“So we are coming down to the wire here,” Adams told the council. “I understand the fiscal concerns and constraints. We have been fiscally restrained in this process, and as the secretary brought up, this project came in under budget already.”

Following argument, both Idaho officials said they are focused on a positive America250 celebration

McGrane and Ellsworth said after the meeting that they want the focus to be on running fun and successful America250 celebrations across the state.

Ellsworth said she believes the council is now all on the same page, but McGrane and Ellsworth continued to express differences of opinion after the meeting. 

Ellsworth said she supported spending the $1,500 on paramedics, no questions asked. She said she also supports providing free water to the public, but said the water should have been taken care of first, not the money for performers. 

But Ellsworth also told the Sun she thinks the Boise celebration should rely more on volunteer performers and could forgo the green rooms for the performers. She said several local performers and choir groups have volunteered to perform for free, and Ellsworth suggested Wednesday it is not too late to bring in volunteer performers if the cost of the previously-announced performers is too high.

“We never wanted this to be Boise-centric; this is about the entire state,” Ellsworth told the Sun after the meeting. “Everything going on in other parts of the state is relying on volunteers and people stepping up to the plate, so let’s get a little of that going for this.”

“Can’t we scale back any of that to provide water, especially when the rest of the state is relying on volunteering?”

Ellsworth also told the Sun she was not accusing McGrane of financial mismanagement. 

“I do look at numbers, and I ask questions,” Ellsworth said. “Numbers tell stories; they don’t create accusations.”

McGrane told the Sun that Ellsworth’s comments during the meeting caught him completely off guard. 

“I was shocked by today’s remarks,” McGrane said. “There aren’t any bills from my office.

I don’t even know where that’s coming from.”

McGrane said he is aware of school choirs and other local groups that have offered to perform for free at the event. But he also said he is excited and proud to be working on a free, large-scale event he hopes Idahoans will remember for all of their lives. 

“Our focus right now is on the America250 celebration and a free public concert with Josh Ritter, and there is a lot of excitement,” McGrane said, adding that the initial cost estimate for the capitol celebration was $170,000, but so far the event has only cost $131,000.

“With any major event there are things that cost money and things we didn’t foresee along the way,” McGrane added. 

Members of the America250 in Idaho Advisory Council said they expect to host one final planning meeting June 24 at the Idaho State Capitol.