Pocatello city equipment, dollars used to pave other cities roads

The mayor of Pocatello has received some heat after accusations of using Pocatello taxpayer dollars to pave several other cities’ streets.

Mayor Brian Blad said this kind of thing is not out of the ordinary, but it’s usually done with a trade agreement approved by the the mayor and City Council. He said now they’re finding out paving happened – without approval, constituting potential misuse of public funds.

“We have put a stop to it,” Blad said. “We sat down together as a mayor and council, discussed some ideas and some things that we can do to make sure that this does not happen again.”

Blad says roads in American Falls, McCammon, Driggs, Tetonia, and Victor have been paved using Pocatello city equipment and dollars, but he said there are still questions about who organized the work and if other trade agreements were made.

“Were there taxpayer dollars spent there?” Blad said. “How much? Was there a reimbursement? What was the trade, if there was a trade? We don’t know the answer to those questions right now.”

Blad said he wants to trust his employees to do what is right, and hopes this has just been a misunderstanding. Despite that, he said he has already ordered an investigation and if anything comes to fruition they deem out of the norm, it will go to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.

“I trust my people,” Blad said. “When they give me a reason not to trust them, that’s when we start changing things.”