Sheriff files suit against county

He won't pay.

Kootenai County Sheriff Rocky Watson has filed legal action against the county demanding it turn over public records that he said the entity is illegally charging him for.

Watson submitted a public records request to the county Building and Planning Department this February to obtain copies of all policies, procedures, rules, regulations or directives relating to permits issued in the county since 1994.

The sheriff also requested copies of permits closed out or approved since 1994, as well as copies of all permit files requested by Watson or his attorney and brother, Roland Watson.

The county, however, informed Watson that he must pay $680 prior to the production of the records.

The Watsons filed a petition to compel production of the public records last week.

The document says the county's demand for payment is illegal under Idaho law stating that all public records are open unless designated otherwise by statute.

The suit also calls the county's actions "a poorly disguised attempt to deny access in violation of the intent of the statute."

Watson referred all questions to his attorney, who did not respond to messages on Tuesday.

The county legal department had yet to assign an attorney to the suit and could not comment.

The records request pertained to an ongoing lawsuit Rocky Watson filed against the county two years ago, when he was red tagged by the county for moving a historic log cabin by barge to a new foundation on Cougar Bay.

He had bought the cabin from businessman Duane Hagadone in order to save it, as Hagadone had planned to demolish it and build a new home on his lakefront property.

Watson was red-tagged for failing to acquire a building permit, yet he later argued that he had made no violation.