Stewart seeks another term as commissioner

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County Commissioner David Stewart announced he will seek a second term in the upcoming 2016 election.

Stewart said he is anxious to continue his work on the commission, and cites a number of those issues in a press release.

"Property rights are at the top of my list of things I will continue to fight for and protect. Since my election in January of 2015, I immediately started work on improving our Land Use Codes,” he said in the release. “Currently, the Interim Land Use Code is nearly complete and in a couple months work will begin to update the Comprehensive Plan that was adopted in 2010.”

In 2014 the previous Board of County Commissioners fired the Coeur d'Alene Airport manager. Stewart said he felt that was a huge mistake and in February he moved to reinstate Greg Delavan as the Airport Manager.

“My motion was passed by the majority of the board,” he said.

Stewart said having an experienced airport manager during one of the worst fire seasons in history was essential.

The Forest Service utilized 1.7 million gallons of fire retardant on fires in Idaho, Washington, Montana and Oregon — breaking a record held in 1967 of 800,000 gallons, Stewart said.

“The Coeur d'Alene Airport played a major role in fighting these fires which took a tremendous amount of coordination and seasoned skilled management. At one point there were 45 flying operations per hour at the airport,” Stewart said. “In my opinion, reinstating Greg Delavan as the Coeur d'Alene Airport manager was the ethical and right thing to do and has proven to be what is best for the stability and future of the airport."

Stewart said employee retention, morale, and fair compensation remain a high priority.

“The previous Board of County Commissioners paid out tens of thousands of dollars to settle employee claims,” he said. “Over the past several months I have brought forward changes to the county personnel policy that, in my opinion, reduces liability to Kootenai County. So far there have been no dollars spent to settle employee claims in 2015.”

Although more work needs to be done, Stewart said commissioners are starting to see improvements in these troubled areas.

Stewart said taxes remain a high priority for him as well.

“In the 2016 budget I voted for a zero percent increase in property taxes that was ultimately passed by the majority of the board,” He said. “I am very proud of my accomplishments in my first year of office and have worked diligently to fulfill the pledges I made during my previous campaign.”

Stewart said he is honored to be a Kootenai County commissioner and looks forward to continuing to serve for another term.

Stewart’s name will appear on the primary election ballot on May 17, and if he is successful he will run in the general election on Nov. 8.