Piazza seeks to retain commissioner post

COEUR d'ALENE - Commissioner Richard Piazza has more to tackle in Kootenai County.

"There are still some things I want to get done," said Piazza, who announced this week he is running for his second term on the board of county commissioners.

For instance, creating impact fees to fund public services. And possibly increasing the staff at the county sheriff's department.

"There's only so much in the budget, but we can at least keep the current staff levels," Piazza said.

On top of that, the 62-year-old still hopes to find a solution for the overcrowded jail, despite voters' rejection of an expansion in 2008.

"We'll have to piecemeal something together," he said. "People said they don't want to spend the money, but I don't know if they realize what a real problem it is."

Piazza, who has held the district 3 seat since 2006, said he was well groomed for the commissioner position after working as an appraiser in the assessor's office for 18 years, which he retired from in 2003.

"A good part of it is public relations work, so you know what public relations mean," Piazza said. "That's a big part of what we do. We're a service oriented industry."

Originally from San Jose, Calif., Piazza pursued a degree in industrial arts for three years at San Jose City College and West Valley College. He set his education aside in 1973, when he relocated to Kootenai County with his late wife to run his own auto renovation business.

Now living in Hayden, he said his biggest accomplishments as commissioner include helping to rename the Coeur d'Alene Airport after World War II hero Pappy Boyington.

"It wasn't easy, but we got it done," he said. "I think it's important we honor our heroes."

He also helped the county acquire the old federal courthouse, which will become the new Juvenile Justice Center for the county.

Piazza anticipates the budget will be the biggest issue the county will have to face in the near future.

He believes reining in spending and consolidating county departments will help see the county through.

"The county didn't have raises last year, and we'll have to see what happens," he said.

He doesn't believe in creating a county administrator, which would just create another layer of bureaucracy, he said.

Piazza, who calls himself a conservative Republican, has been a member of the NRA for 40 years. He has been a precinct committee member for the Republican party and is a former vice president of the North Idaho Pachyderm Club.

He is also a board member of Kootenai Perspectives, a branch of Jobs Plus, and the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission.

His favorite part of the job is town hall meetings, according to a press release he issued.

"It's great meeting the folks and hearing their concerns," the release read. "We need citizen input for us to do our jobs effectively."