Reject change to county government

When you look at a sample ballot the very first thing that you observe is that out of all the choices to make on the ballot, this measure seems confusing. For everything else we vote "yes or no," or choose one person or another. But when we vote on this measure, both choices require that we be "in favor" of something. To reject the County Manager ballot measure the wording implies we endorse the present commissioners, when in fact many citizens are not for either. The commissioners are seeking change - but this change will prove itself to be costly and further separate citizens from our government leadership.

ISSUE #1 Our commissioners have enjoined the support of a hidden political activist group to help promote (mailings-website) their desire for a KC manager position.

ISSUE #2 The county manager measure sets up another layer of bureaucracy between citizens and the KC commissioners. Currently citizens interact with a county employee, then a department head, then commissioners. If approved, the manager would become another layer of government between citizens and the BOCC.

ISSUE #3 The KC commissioners have pushed, supported, and continue to push for a damaging agenda-based comprehensive plan with resulting ULUC regulations and costly impact fees, that will lead to a property owners' rebellion in the coming years. It appears they want to hide from us behind this proposed new county manager.

ISSUE #4 The commissioners want someone to handle their current work load, but to date they have not publicly stepped up and offered to cut their own salaries to pay for this new position nor all the additional overhead costs to support a new county manager department.

ISSUE #5 The only way to pay for this new position is higher KC property owner taxes or cutting some other KC budget line. The worst economic conditions since the Great Depression and our commissioners are growing county government.

ISSUE #6 No other Idaho county has a county manager between citizens and commissioners.

ISSUE #7 While many Kootenai County citizens are cutting spending, doing without, and taking on extra work to help pay bills, our commissioners want to work less and are growing the KC budget.

ISSUE #8 The commissioners are seeking to take away our right to vote for the county clerk, treasurer, assessor and coroner. These positions would be appointed by the county manager, instead of elected by voters as they are now.

ISSUE #9 It is the commissioners' job to "manage" so when the commissioners say they need to hire a county manager, they are in effect saying, "we can not manage, let's hire someone who can."

ISSUE #10 The county clerk, assessor, coroner, and treasurer have all come out against this proposed change and they collectively do not support it. Many county employees are also against this measure.

So ask yourself, why do the commissioners want to put another layer of bureaucracy between you and them and why have they joined up with a hidden public relations organization to convince you to vote for this? Turn it down, select the lower in favor option on your ballot - "In favor of retaining the present form of county government." Other concerned citizens are using write-in candidates, "Gordy Ormesher" for County Commissioner Third District and write-in candidate "Jack Schroeder" County Commissioner First District as a way to fight back. Both write-in candidates oppose creating a county manager position.

Summer Bushnell is a Post Falls resident.