Boise delays towing rate hike after industry pushback

Boise officials are hitting pause on a long-awaited update to towing rates after local tow company owners said the proposed changes still don’t reflect the true cost of doing business.

Last week, the Boise City Council voted unanimously to delay adopting a new ordinance governing “non-consent” tows — cases where police or the city order vehicles removed after crashes, abandonments or investigations. The rewrite follows Idaho’s 2025 HB 174 and would be the first rate adjustment since 2008.

The proposal would set a flat $150 fee per tow and eliminate some additional charges for specialized equipment and cleanup. Tow operators said that structure overlooks the complexity of certain calls, particularly abandoned motor homes that require extra labor, heavy equipment and sewage disposal.

Stan Deming of Boise Valley Towing called the update “long overdue,” but said the draft is “no better” than the current system. He warned that unclear labor rules and high disposal costs can leave companies losing thousands of dollars on a single motor home tow.

Randy Fultz of Rocky Mountain Towing pointed to surging expenses across the industry. “I run for profit, not garbage clean up,” he said, adding that current rates make city calls financially unsustainable.

Council members asked tow companies to propose more specific revisions before a new version returns for a vote. Source: https://boisedev.com