SHELTON: Recall is for a reason

The recall of Chris Shelton didn’t start with “a small and vocal minority ... about a proposed fee schedule.” It did not even start over the fee schedule. But the fee schedule Chris and the Chief proposed at the April 21 Public Hearing drew 80-plus citizens very unhappy with it! And we feel the original 6 page fee schedule, referred to in the recall ballot language, should have never even been presented by our commissioner, to his constituents, as a possibility.

At the Public Hearing, Chris said to me, “Once you hear the Chief’s presentation you will understand the need for this.” Not only did I not understand the need, I had many more questions. So did many others and that is why we got involved.

Chris and his supporters are fond of saying we were never involved before but now we are and they don’t like it. Nan Swendig’s comment: “It’s a fact that the final fee schedule was approved at a public meeting without opposition” belies the facts. The original 6 page fee schedule went through at least 10 re-drafts from both sides over 4 months time before finally being downsized to 3 pages. And it is that version that was “approved at a public meeting without opposition.” NOT the version they originally proposed.

There is absolutely no doubt, without citizen involvement, their original fee schedule would have been approved and we would be living with it today.

GRETCHEN HAUSER

Coeur d’Alene