Taxing district deadline looms

COEUR d'ALENE - The clock is ticking for candidates interested in running for election in Idaho's local taxing districts on May 17.

The deadline to file declarations for candidacy for positions opening up in area highway, library and school districts is March 18 by 5 p.m.

The candidacy declaration period was shortened by three weeks when Gov. Butch Otter signed election consolidation legislation into law on Feb. 23.

Taxing district board clerks and Kootenai County election office workers have been scrambling to meet the new election requirements.

"It has been a real challenge with the changes coming so quickly," said John Hartung, director of the Community Library Network and secretary to the board of trustees of the Consolidated Free Library District based in Hayden.

The newly enacted election legislation made technical corrections to election consolidation legislation passed and signed into law in 2009, and moved the candidacy filing deadline from April 8 to March 18.

Write-in candidates must file a declaration of intent no later than 5 p.m April 1.

Lynne Towne, board clerk in the Coeur d'Alene School District, said previously she has always announced the last date to file declarations of candidacy for trustee elections at least a month prior to the deadline.

The candidacy declaration filing period ends March 18 at 5 p.m. in the following taxing districts for the following positions:

* Eastside Highway District, 6095 E. Mullan Trail Road, Coeur d'Alene, 765-4714. Commissioner, District 1. Incumbent: Dick Edinger.

Commissioner, District 3. Incumbent: Jimmie Dorsey. Thomas Little has declared his candidacy in District 3.

• Lakes Highway District, 11341 N. Ramsey Road, Hayden, 772-7527.

Commissioner, District 2. Incumbent: Weston Monty Montgomery. Montgomery has declared his candidacy, and Howard (Corky) Witherwax has filed his declaration in District 2.

• Post Falls Highway District, 5629 E. Seltice Way, Post Falls, 765-3717.

Commissioner District 1. Incumbent: Terry Warner. Commissioner District 3. Incumbent: Lynn Humphreys.

• Worley Highway District, 6887 W. Kidd Island Road, Coeur d'Alene, 664-0483. Commissioner, District 3. Incumbent: George Miller. Miller has declared his candidacy.

• Consolidated Free Library District, 8385 N. Government Way, Hayden, 772-5612.

Trustee. Incumbent: Judy Meyer. Trustee. Incumbent: Michele Veale.

* Coeur d'Alene School District, 311 N. 10th St., Coeur d'Alene, 664-8241.

Trustee Zone 2. Incumbent: Stephanie Powers.

Trustee Zone 3. Incumbent: Bill Hemenway.

• Kootenai School District, 13030 E. O'Gara Road, Harrison, 689-3631. Trustee Zone 2, Carlin Bay. Incumbent: Rick Palmiter.

Trustee Zone 3, Medimont. Incumbent: Mitch Donohoe.

• Lakeland School District, 15506 N. Washington St., Rathdrum, 687-0431.

Trustee Zone 1. Incumbent: Kyle Olmstead. Trustee Zone 2. Incumbent: Barbara Puckett.

Trustee Zone 3. Incumbent: Tim Skubitz.

• Post Falls School District, 206 W. Mullan Ave., Post Falls, 773-1658.

Official declaration and petition forms are available at the central offices of each district, or at the county clerk's office.

Candidates must be registered voters. Highway district commissioners and school district trustees must live within the sub-district or zone to which they are elected. Library district trustees are elected at-large from within the district which encompasses all of Kootenai County, except for the section of the county that lies within Coeur d'Alene city limits. The library district extends into a section of Shoshone County also.

Questions regarding sub-districts and zones should be directed to the taxing districts.