Gibboney announces candidacy for county commissioner

Dale Gibboney announced he will seek election to the District 1 seat on the Kootenai County Board of County Commissioners. That position is currently held by Bill Brooks, who has said he will not seek reelection. 

Gibboney will seek the Republican nomination in the May 21 primary to be on the ballot in the general election in November. 

Gibboney’s goals, if elected, are, according to a press release: “Managing the growth trajectory to preserve our way of life; keeping the community safe by properly funding public safety; managing government size to meet your demands; and ensuring strong county commissioner leadership.” 

The announcement said that, while Gibboney believes not all growth is bad, he asserts irresponsible growth, such as the rapid growth occurring in Kootenai County, can destroy the charm of any community. According to the press release, “It is widely known that if an area grows faster than the infrastructure can manage, it will require greater expense to catch up than if manageable growth had been addressed initially.”

"I want to continue the meaningful discussion about growth and what kind of community it is we want to live in," Gibboney said in the release. "The reality is that growth doesn’t pay for itself, and existing residents should not be getting taxed out of our community." 

He said Kootenai County needs to update its comprehensive plan to ensure it is consistent with what county residents want and need for their future. The county also needs to look at starting impact studies, and that these studies need to be conducted in such a way that local leaders and members of the public understand how development is affecting the county’s infrastructure, roads, schools, public safety and water, he said. 

“Finding that balance of preserving the charm that has drawn so many to this area with responsible growth is essential if we want to maintain our quality of life. We need to work with other public officials and discuss what we want this community to be like in five or 10 years,” Gibboney said in the release. "The citizens deserve to have elected officials who will listen and make decisions based upon how it will affect the community they serve and to ensure they have a voice. Even Kootenai County has not been immune from tone deaf politicians.” 

Gibboney is a longtime resident of Kootenai County after retiring as a pilot and department head from the Time Warner corporate jet fleet. Before that he served 12 years with LAPD, leaving as their chief of helicopter pilot training and serving six years in the Army National Guard.

His personal interests include keeping up with community issues, shooting sports and spending time with his grandkids.