No conflict declared in county hire

Terri Dickerson, campaign treasurer for Commissioner Bill Brooks, hired as the Veteran’s Officer assistant

Terri Dickerson, campaign treasurer for Kootenai County Commissioner Bill Brooks, has been hired as the Veteran’s Officer assistant in the Kootenai County Veterans Services Department.

The job is full time, with benefits.

Dickerson was hired March 4 as a temporary employee to fill a vacancy as the Veteran's Officer assistant in the Kootenai County Veterans Services Department.

Brooks, the Veteran’s Services Liaison to the Board of County Commissioners, referred Dickerson for the position that was previously held by a full-time employee for almost eight years.

“Bill Brooks disclosed that the referred candidate is the campaign treasurer to Bill Brooks,” said Sylvia Proud, Kootenai County Human Resources director.

An initial qualifications screening was conducted by the Human Resources Department, according to Proud. Once HR determined that Dickerson was qualified for the position, she was interviewed and offered the temporary position.

As an assistant to the veteran's officer, Dickerson advocates for veterans and provides technical assistance in helping veterans obtain benefits, including disability, retirement, and VA pensions and home loans.

On April 1, the BOCC changed the temporary position into a full-time position with benefits, at the same level of compensation as the previous employee, earning $17.15 an hour. Brooks recused himself from the discussion and did not vote in the hiring process.

During the deliberations, the director of the Veteran Services Department, Tom Freeman, said there had been no conflict of interest between Dickerson’s ability to perform the duties of her job while working as the treasurer for Bill Brooks’ re-election campaign.

Commissioner Leslie Duncan moved to approve the permanent position, with an exception to hiring policy 020 requiring an interview process, given that the employee already held a temporary position. Commissioner Chris Fillios agreed and Dickerson, who also writes for The Press as the Consumer Gal, was hired into the permanent position.

In the past, the department has sought veterans to work with veterans, but the county does not have to disclose whether previous employees in Dickerson's position were veterans, by Idaho code, according to Proud.

“We work very closely with the state office,” Freeman said. “The people at the state were really interested in working with her.”

Freeman communicated to the BOCC that Dickerson works exceedingly well to uphold the mission of the department, providing an atmosphere of caring, understanding and confidentiality while serving Kootenai County veterans and their family members with respect and dignity.

“Services are continuing to be requested at an increased rate,” Freeman said. “I attribute that to the growth that the area is experiencing.”

The department is comprised of Freeman and Dickerson. More than 12,000 veterans reside in Kootenai County.

While veterans are given preference in the hiring process for government jobs, the BOCC is not legally required to advertise job vacancies through the human resources department, according to county policy.

The BOCC has the discretion to appoint staff or utilize existing staff to assist veterans in applying for benefits, according to Idaho Code section 65-601. Candidates may be referred to the human resources department directly, prior to a vacancy being advertised.