New roads and new schools will cost the city millions in the next 15 years, regardless of whether Micron Technology Inc. decides to put a 3,500-worker factory in the Magic Valley.
But Micron would increase and accelerate those costs, according to a city impact analysis released recently.Two executives from Micron Technology were among those eagerly listening to a presentation on the potential impacts the Boise semiconductor company would have on the city's infrastructure.
Kipp Bedard, a Micron vice president, and Jay Hawkins, the company's manufacturing director, are two of six people deciding where the company should build the factory.
"You get hit in the early years with these big infrastructure price tags," said consultant Paul Tisch-ler.
Under a scenario that assumed Micron-related growth would concentrate in the city of Twin Falls, consultants revealed that tax expenditures in the city would dramatically outpace projected tax revenues by 2011.
The city would need: $41 million in improvements and new schools in the Twin Falls School District, $10 million in sewer services, $19.3 million road improvements.
These costs are independent of expenses anticipated by forecasts in the city's 1993 comprehensive plan - written before Micron announced expansion plans.
Tischler's Maryland consulting firm and JUB Engineers of Twin Falls were hired by the city to study determine what financial effects would be felt on city services if Micron built its new factory at one of two sites near Twin Falls.
The city's population, its number of households and number of schoolchildren would increase more dramatically if Micron built at the Twin Falls County site.