Boise council defers proposed towing-fee overhaul after tow companies warn rates, language would undercut heavy-duty removals

Boise — Council members on Tuesday deferred an ordinance that would update the city’s nonconsent towing fee schedule after tow companies and industry representatives warned the draft would not cover real-world costs for large or hazardous removals.

City staff said the rewrite is intended to align Boise City code with changes in Idaho law (House Bill 174, effective Jan. 1) that shift some private-property towing responsibilities and change notification processes. Ed Fritz, who presented the changes, told council the package would replace decades-old amounts and set new maximums — including a proposed flat $150 base and higher labor and mileage allowances — to improve tow availability and officer safety.

“The proposed rate adjustments … are proposed to match what Ada County and the agencies are charging right now,” Fritz said during the presentation, describing the goals as timely roadway clearance, officer safety and clearer rules for tow providers.

Several towing business owners urged a different approach. Stan Deming, owner of Boise Valley Towing, said the draft reduces some historic line items and would leave companies losing money on complex removals such as uninhabitable motorhomes. “We are effectively losing roughly … $2,700 on every motorhome that we take in that’s uninhabitable,” Deming said, citing disposal, sewage removal and 30-day storage costs that the current draft does not cover. He urged a more extensive rewrite that adopts consistent language used by other jurisdictions.

Jessica Reeves of ACT Towing said Boise’s rates have not been updated since 2008 and supported raising charges but recommended additional changes such as an annual indexing mechanism: “A predictable annual adjustment and recognition of risk will also allow towing providers to retain qualified staff and continue providing safe, reliable service,” Reeves said.

Other witnesses — including owners of R & R Towing, Highland Rocky Mountain Towing and smaller operators — described rising truck, insurance and lot-rental costs and urged the council either to align with county/state schedules or to adopt a more comprehensive local structure that accounts for heavy-duty and hazardous removals.

Council members raised detailed questions about definitions (how the code treats RVs/motorhomes and “heavy duty” classifications), whether labor charges should begin when units arrive on scene or after an initial free hour, and how mileage and storage costs would be handled. Fritz said heavy-duty definitions remain in code and that the proposal includes a mileage increase and higher labor fees to reflect current costs, but acknowledged further code updates will be required.

After the public testimony, Council President Colin Nash moved to defer the ordinance and renotice the public hearing with outreach to stakeholders; the motion carried unanimously. Nash said the goal is to “get it right” rather than rush a change that could leave tow providers or the city worse off.

The council set the earliest renotice date as Feb. 10, 2026, and staff and council members asked operators to provide specific, written proposals and cost data in advance of the continued hearing.

What happens next: The ordinance will be revised with input from towing companies, Ada County counterparts and Boise staff, renoticed, and the public hearing will be reopened on or after Feb. 10, 2026. Council directed staff to do outreach to the industry and said members will follow up with operators to solicit suggested language and rate structures.

— Reporting by the City Council meeting record; quotations and attributions are taken from on-the-record testimony and staff presentation.