COUNTY: Don't buy into Streamline

COUNTY: Don’t buy into Streamline

“Streamline” is trying to persuade voters to change the county government to a Commissioner/County Manager system. It’s difficult to see why anybody who wants a county government that is smaller, less expensive and more efficient would support this proposal.

The measure promoted by “Streamline” would create — at an estimated annual expense of at least $100,000 — an appointed County Manager position that would supervise budget and personnel matters. It would make the Assessor, Treasurer, Coroner and Clerk appointed positions, rather than elected ones.

“Streamline” is trying to wrap this proposal in the mantle of the Founding Fathers, presenting it as a way to make a “more perfect” county government. But their approach would centralize and consolidate power, which is precisely the opposite of what the Framers of the Constitution desired. While the Founders wanted government to be frugal, it did not want to “streamline” its functions. This is why they divided powers among branches of government, imposed institutional checks and balances on its functions, and made those entrusted with political authority accountable to the public they served.

Kootenai County’s present form of government has been in place for more than a century. What explains the sudden urgency to cast it aside in favor of a system that has been rejected by every other county in Idaho?

It’s worth pointing out that the “Streamline” campaign is being promoted by a local PR firm called “Strategery.” Who hired that firm, and where did the money come from? If we could learn the answers to those questions, we would also know who stands to benefit from such a radical change in our county government.

Vote in favor of retaining our current form of county government, and instruct your commissioners to do the job they were hired to do.

LEAH SOUTHWELL

Coeur d’Alene