Tip o' the cap to Mr. Tyler

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

And sometimes you win when you lose.

In May, this newspaper endorsed Todd Tondee to retain his seat as a Post Falls Highway District commissioner. Backed by some organizations occupying extreme right real estate on the political spectrum, Jeff Tyler beat Tondee. And by extension, The Press.

Final score: Tondee, 2,936 — Tyler, 4,742

Fast forward just three months, and anybody watching from the sidelines hoping for a spectacular implosion on the PF Highway District board is bound to be disappointed.

A banner headline in last Friday’s newspaper declared, “Stop the presses: Agency cuts taxes,” and that wasn't a misprint or fake news.

By tightening some belts internally and passing along more of the tax load to development, the highway district became the only one we’re aware of to consciously reduce the tax burden to property owners in the coming fiscal year.

Now, you’re allowed to attach a number of asterisks to this phenomenon. For one, a budget set is not necessarily a budget kept. For another, residents in the district will ultimately judge the quality of services rendered, how much bang they actually got for their buck. But boy, the three-person highway district commission sure got our attention for taking a nice step in the right fiscal direction.

While Tyler is crediting others, from the district director and staff to his two fellow commissioners, he definitely deserves his fair share of the laurels. Even though he’s a newcomer, Tyler is the commission chair, so the spotlight is a little brighter and hotter on him than the others.

Our point today is not to suggest that the groups who lifted him to office are always right. Not by a long shot. But Tyler’s leadership and influence are noteworthy and can serve as sound reminders.

Even when you think voters really screwed up in an election, particularly with candidates who aren’t necessarily well-known, you might actually have won. That was the case several years ago when newcomer and Republican diehard Bob Fish was elected to the community library board, and he served with distinction — before getting knocked out by many of the same people who vaulted Tyler into office.

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Take a bow, Mr. Tyler and Post Falls Highway District team. Your successful execution of a tighter budget will set a valuable example to other taxing entities.