POCATELLO — Local leaders delivered a unified call Friday for the region to shed jurisdictional boundaries and reach the Portneuf Valley’s full potential.
Bannock County Commission Chair Jeff Hough, Pocatello Mayor Mark Dahlquist and Chubbuck Mayor Rodney Burch detailed ambitious visions for economic growth, infrastructure investment and community pride during the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce’s first luncheon of 2026, held at the Idaho State University ICCU Bengal Alumni Center.
Hough challenged the community to “live elevated” while the new mayors of outlined priorities centered on collaboration over competition, framing the Portneuf Valley as a single economic region rather than separate, competing entities.
“I don’t think the businesses see jurisdictional boundaries,” Burch said. “I think it’s important that we do all that we can to also remove those boundaries in our operations as much as possible.”
The event marked the first formal speaking engagements for both mayors and set a tone of regional cooperation that appeared to contrast with past municipal tensions.
All three leaders spoke about the desire or benefits for Pocatello, Chubbuck and north Bannock County to function more like one community.
Dahlquist said he met with both Hough and Burch before taking office to discuss coordination.
“I’m excited about the partnership and the progress that we can make with Chubbuck and Bannock County, because really, the Portneuf Valley is kind of one community,” he said.
Hough echoed that sentiment throughout his remarks.
“When I say Bannock County, I mean us as a whole. I mean our community as a whole,” he said in describing the commission’s goals to make the entire region better.
The collaborative tone extended to specific projects, including a dormant wastewater collection partnership that Burch hopes to revive and shared efforts through regional economic development group Portneuf Valley Development.
Growing the tax base was a central theme across all three presentations.
Dahlquist identified the LA semiconductor plant, currently under receivership, as critical “low-hanging fruit.” The facility once employed 1,200 people but now has just 350 workers, he said.
“We have to make sure and get that plant fully occupied,” Dahlquist said, noting he’s toured the facility and is working with Portneuf Valley Development and third-party entities managing the sale. “Those are the types of jobs we really need, the high paying technical jobs.”
He has also spoken with Millennial Development owner Buck Swaney, who indicated movement will begin soon in the Northgate area, likely starting with more housing.
Hough said the county is working on several projects with Portneuf Valley Development and is positioning Bannock County to participate in the nuclear industry through partnerships with the Idaho National Laboratory.
“I hear everybody say every meeting I go to we’ve got so much potential,” Hough said. “The time is now. It’s time to live elevated. It’s time to grow. It’s time to be who we can be.”
Burch, describing himself as a data-driven, technical individual and his accompanying slides as a bit nerdy, delivered a detailed economic evaluation of the region, using maps and analysis to zone in on the superior tax value of small businesses and infill development.
Using taxable value per acre as a metric, he showed that small-footprint businesses generate exponentially more revenue than large box stores that can consume acres of land for parking lots alone. He also noted the financial benefits of high-density residential development, which requires less infrastructure investment.
“Those little small businesses add such value to our community,” Burch said, adding that when small businesses fail, another can move in quickly to avoid vacant parcels often associated with big-box developments.
One-third of Chubbuck’s land is either vacant or underdeveloped, he said, a figure that represents opportunities for infill development where streets, water and sewer infrastructure already exist.
“It is so cost effective for both development and for the city’s finances to pursue infill development,” he said.
Both Burch and Dahlquist made the case for streamlining development processes.
Chubbuck plans to assign customer service representatives to help track and streamline permit applications, Burch said, while Pocatello is considering creating a liaison position to guide developers through its zoning and permitting process, Dahlquist said.
Both mayors stressed that aesthetics and first impressions matter for economic development.
Dahlquist used the phrase “make Pocatello shine and compete,” calling for landscape improvements along the Clark Street Interstate 15 entrance and other main corridors.
“We need to really do everything we can to make our community look good with great first impressions for visitors,” he said.
Burch cited national research showing aesthetics rank second among factors that make communities livable, behind only social opportunities and ahead of inclusivity. He called roadways and transportation corridors public spaces worthy of investment.
“People want to live in a community that looks good,” Burch said.
Hough also spoke of Bannock County’s emergence as a state leader, mentioning awards earned in 2025 including a National Association of Counties achievement award for work with local at-risk youth through The Village, which he said has helped over 600 families since opening in 2023.
The county auditing office won its 31st consecutive Government Finance Officers Association award, which Hough described as “the Michelin star for accounting.” He also gave kudos to Coroner Torey Danner for winning the Mills-Adler award for leadership from the Idaho Association of Counties and Public Information Officer Emma Iannacone for quarterbacking feedback for developing the comprehensive plan, which saw a 10-fold increase — input from 800 residents compared to the historical numbers of around 70 or 80 people.
Bannock County has also become the backbone for the 911 system for surrounding counties, becoming just the second county in the state with such capabilities, Hough said.
In addition to the new comp plan, county successes in 2025 included completing the Youth Development Center, hosting 10 concerts at the Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre and collecting a record 60,000 pounds of hazardous waste.
“It’s pretty funny when you get excited talking about garbage, isn’t it?” Hough said. “Yeah, that’s the life of the county commissioner. We like talking about garbage.”
The county fair in Downey drew 7,000 attendees, and the growing popularity of the fair and rodeo scene helped catalyze the construction of a new exhibit hall and barn to accommodate the more than 400 annual 4-H entries, Hough said.
For 2026, the county aims to bring full-time ambulance service to south county, anchored by the new ambulance bay in McCammon, Hough said, adding that other goals include modernizing the landfill scale house, tackling a significant ordinance rewrite and developing a new master plan for the Bannock County Event Center, which draws about 100,000 visitors annually.
“In addition to having some awesome concerts, we’re going to redo the way it looks and feels and flows,” Hough said.
Dahlquist cited a recent Parks and Recreation Open Space and Trails Plan showing strong community support for connected trails and better maintenance.
“We truly are a mountain town that’s sort of still affordable, and I think we need to play on that,” Dahlquist said.
On housing, both mayors spoke of the importance of examining zoning to enable denser development and utilizing infill lots where infrastructure already exists.
The county is changing its open space ordinance to allow more density on the edges of cities, Hough said, creating more housing opportunities without a clear definition of “affordable.”
Dahlquist called for community involvement beyond government action.
“We need the citizens’ involvement to make Pocatello go to the next level,” he said, urging residents to volunteer, support local businesses and be cheerleaders for the region.
“I’m convinced that we’re in the best city in Idaho,” he said. “I just don’t think all of us believe that yet.”