Home County Bannock P.A.G.E.: Emails Prove Commissioner Hough Has Compromised LUDO Integrity; Should Recuse Himself

Pocatello for Accountable Government Entities: Keeping Government Accountable

P.A.G.E.: Emails Prove Commissioner Hough Has Compromised LUDO Integrity; Should Recuse Himself

August 26, 2026

(Pocatello for Accountable Government Entities, August 25, 2026)

In spite of statements to the media by Balanced Rock Power’s attorney trying to shape a favorable narrative, add this string of emails to the growing record of facts that show Commissioner Hough has been giving preferential treatment (i.e. early access to the Land Use and Development Ordinance (LUDO) drafts at various stages, soliciting feedback & comments from 3rd party special interests, direct access to a Commissioner, etc.) to a developer with a pecuniary (financial) interest in the Ordinance outcome and to a 3rd party advocacy group.

It makes sense that expertise from NEUTRAL third-parties acting in a formal advisory or consulting capacity might be valuable. The attorney for Balance Rock Power, the developer behind the 2600-acre Harmon Solar Project, and the Idaho Policy Manager for Renewable Idaho Northwest, a renewable energy advocacy group, are hardly neutral, in our opinion. Renewable Idaho Northwest’s annual report literally offers their support of Bannock County’s renewal ban reversal campaign “expected to wrap up in 2026” as one example of achieving their goal of “keeping Idaho open for renewable development.”

Our interest as P.A.G.E. is to ensure that government decisions are made fairly and without bias, especially when it comes to the Land Use and Development Ordinance that will impact entire communities. It is clear that Commissioner Hough is far from neutral on this issue. In our opinion, his actions over the months have compromised the integrity of the process, and he should recuse himself on any decisions related to the Land Use and Development Ordinance (LUDO) in Bannock County.

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