Study on altering county government to begin

In a split decision, Kootenai County commissioners voted to begin a study on alternative forms of government leadership during their Tuesday business meeting.

Proposed by Commissioner Bill Brooks, the study will involve a commission of volunteers to investigate options to change the Kootenai County governance system. The resolution marks the third time Kootenai County has evaluated the effectiveness of its government style, which was established in the 1800s.

After two failed studies — in 1997 and in 2017 — Commissioner Leslie Duncan opposed creating a commission.

Duncan expressed uncertainty about the study, which is yet to solidify the scope of the outreach, education, and volunteer processes and its cost to taxpayers.

While there was no definite structure for the study, Brooks said participants would be volunteers and costs would be minimal.

"The only other concern I have is just the time that we are in. It's pretty tumultuous, and we don't know what's happening with the COVID situation. We have shutdowns and masks and all that," Duncan said. "I probably would want to wait a little while just to have things settle down before we just go off on another thing to manage."

Tentative scheduling for the commission involved a six- to nine-month investigative period before making a recommendation. Then, the county would spend more time educating the public.

Commissioner Chris Fillios voted in favor of trying a third time.

"Last time it was turned down was 2012, and the county has grown substantially since then," Fillios said. "We may get the same end result, that's possible, but my feeling is that as the county grows and the needs grow with it, we need to evaluate if we are operating in the most efficient manner."

Fillios believes the purpose of the study group is to consider what is occurring in the county, the circumstances the commissioners should consider, and whether the current structure is sufficient to support Kootenai County in the future.