Dalton deputy mayor earns full-time title

DALTON GARDENS — Steve Roberge, the current deputy mayor of Dalton Gardens, successfully won his bid to become the city's next mayor.

Roberge, a city councilman for 16 years now serving as council president, received 345 votes in Tuesday’s election, about 53.3 percent of the total, according to unofficial final results posted Tuesday night by the Kootenai County Elections Office. He is a North Idaho native who has lived in Dalton Gardens for 26 years and is employed as district manager for Waste Management of Idaho.

During the campaign, Roberge drew upon his deep family connection to Dalton Gardens and his desire to maintain the unique quality of life in the semi-rural community. He told The Press he wants to address the impact growth in neighboring cities has on traffic in the city by advocating for the use of various traffic calming techniques and solid relationships with local law enforcement agencies.

Robert Wright, a former member of the city council, received 302 votes, about 46.7 percent of the vote. Wright has been a resident of Dalton Gardens for more than 20 years and told The Press he was running for the position to increase the role citizens play in Dalton Gardens' government.