BOISE, Idaho — Idaho's smallest city, Huetter, was incorporated in 1905; it has been around for a long time, but may not be for much longer.
The 30-acre city, pronounced 'Hutter', is located in the Gem State's panhandle, between Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, and has a population of just 100 people.
"We all pronounce it the same way," Diana Witherspoon, a business owner in Huetter, said. "A lot of people say hooter, but hutter has always been the pronunciation."
There isn't a whole lot that goes on in a city as small as Huetter, according to Witherspoon.
"It's a really tiny bedroom community. Back in the 70s, it was kind of a burgeoning little town that was on the main highway, highway 10, before I-90 went through," Witherspoon said. "There was a sawmill and a bar, and a dance club, but after the freeway went through and the other towns around it started growing, the population really changed and it's now mostly rentals."
In fact, Witherspoon. does not live in Huetter. She owns apartment buildings in the area and a used car sales lot, called Big Dog. She said she sells one to two cars a month.
Of the nearly hundred residents in the city, only around five to eight people actually own the houses they live in, according to Witherspoon.
The city also lacks a current mayor after the last one moved away.
"The last mayor sold his house and moved away about three years ago," Witherspoon said. "So, there hasn't been a mayor or city council since."
Meaning there isn't anyone in charge of running the town.
"There aren't any services except for the water district, and I'm really not sure who's picking up the checks for that; it sort of runs itself," Witherspoon said. "We lost our water master probably 8 years ago."
On top of not having a current mayor or city council, the surrounding cities are also trying to annex the area. However, that has been a challenge without someone to oversee the exchange.
"We'd have to get buy in from a city council, which we don't have and we can't run for office, because we don't live here," Witherspoon said.
Witherspoon said they may need to recruit some of the retirees living in the area as a volunteer city council in order to get things done.
She believes it would be better for the city to get annexed because the water system is failing and almost all the residents are on a septic system. Not really ideal when the Spokane River is less than a quarter mile away.
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