Nampa Voters Reject $5 Million Public Safety Levy

Unofficial results show 55.1% voted no, short of the 60% yes threshold needed to pass the permanent levy override.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Nampa Voters Reject $5 Million Public Safety Levy

Live Poll

Would you vote to approve a local public safety tax levy in your city?

Nampa voters rejected a $5 million public safety levy on Tuesday, with unofficial results showing 8,981 yes votes (44.9%) and 11,041 no votes (55.1%). The levy required 60% approval to pass.

Why it matters

The levy was proposed to address patrol staffing shortfalls linked to Nampa's growth, and Police Chief Joe Huff said the department is not adequately staffed. The outcome leaves the department's staffing gap unresolved.

Unofficial results were reported by 11:25 p.m. on Tuesday, with the levy failing to reach the 60% yes threshold. Whether the Nampa Police Department will bring the measure back to voters has not been determined.

The players

Nampa Police Department

The municipal law enforcement agency serving Nampa, Idaho, which sought the levy to fund additional patrol officers and a training facility.

Joe Huff

The Nampa Police Chief who said the department is not adequately staffed and expressed disappointment in the result.

The details

The levy would have added 24 officers, including 16 patrol officers and eight corporals, and funded a training facility, at a cost of $28.93 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value each year. Nampa Police Department currently uses Meridian Police Department's training facility and has roughly 160 personnel.

Mid-October 2026: Huff explained the department's staffing constraints and residents' tax concerns.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Voters rejected the levy at the polls.
Oct. 1, 2027: Levy collections would have begun for the fiscal year.

Legal Context

The rejection leaves the Nampa Police Department without the 24 officers and training facility the levy would have funded, placing the staffing strain tied to the city's growth on the department's existing 160 personnel. Its next steps will determine whether the patrol shortfall is addressed through other budget decisions or a future ballot measure.

Residents will not see the new patrol officers or training facility that the levy would have funded. Response to calls may look different as the department makes difficult decisions about services.

The takeaway

Local public safety funding depends on voter approval of levies that require supermajority support, and a failed measure leaves staffing decisions to the department's existing budget. Residents who want to track the next steps can follow Nampa city and police announcements.