COUNTY: Beware claims of efficiency

When elected officials start talking about efficiency in government we need to pay attention.

Government is designed to provide services that we, as citizens, cannot provide. These services must be transparent. The county commissioners want to eliminate the elected positions of assessor, auditor/clerk, coroner and treasurer and hire people to fill those positions then create the position of county administrator. They would then have an elected board of county commissioners that has hired an administrator who would set the budget for the county, the appointed assessor would assess your property for the budget the commissioners want, and then they hear your appeal when you don’t agree with the value they have set for your property. The board of commissioners would then set and collect the taxes. There is no clear separation of power.

The present form of government was designed as a system of checks and balances to protect public interests by providing accountability directly to the voters.

I want to protect my right to vote for those officials and keep my government transparent. I am voting in favor of RETAINING THE PRESENT FORM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

GEORGE EVJEN

Coeur d’Alene