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Sheriff: Elected officials bring trust, confidence

by MADISON HARDY
Staff Writer | September 17, 2021 1:00 AM

Nearly 100 residents watched Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris tell the Optional Forms of Government Study Commission why he's opposed to almost any change in operational structure. 

The only viable alternative, in the sheriff's opinion, is adding a county manager. 

For several months, members of the OFGSC have collected research to evaluate whether the current Kootenai County government structure best serves constituents — or if it's time for a change. 

Norris said he's not in favor of many elected officials being appointed by, or accountable to, a county manager. The crowd roared with applause, as it would many times throughout the meeting Wednesday evening. 

"This is a checks-and-balances system that has been in place for over a century," Norris said. "An elected official provides necessary dialogue and oversight to commissioners. Each department ... brings trust and confidence to local government." 

Under Idaho Code 31-5001, the OFGSC is permitted to recommend the six non-commissioner elected officials — sheriff, assessor, treasurer, clerk, coroner and prosecuting attorney — become hired positions. In some forms of government, a manager or administrator hires and fires for those positions.

Like others previously interviewed by the OFGSC, Norris said this change could inhibit an official's ability to go against commissioners, decreasing the efficiency of the county government. 

"An elected department head can talk about the current and future needs of a department without fear of retaliation. An elected official can refuse an inappropriate or questionable direction from any other politician or elected office," Norris said. 

OFGSC member Kristin Wing, who is part of a subcommittee looking at governments across the U.S., pointed out that, to her knowledge, there are no counties that hire instead of elect its sheriff. 

Norris questioned whether the OFGSC was created to improve local government or based on a "personal grievance" a commissioner has with the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. 

"A case can be made that the problem is not with the elected department heads but maybe with the office of commissioners," Norris said. 

He contended that often in the OFGSC meetings, he hears less about efficiency and more regarding control. Norris pointed to commissioners' comments about their "power of the purse" concerning county budgets and the ability to fire disagreeable officials if they were to become hired positions. 

"These are checks and balances that have served Idaho since 1889," Norris said. "So I'm not so sure there's a huge problem that we need to fix."

Norris said there is value to the county manager position as Kootenai County increases in population size. In his mind, the manager would act as the board of commissioners' "chief deputy." 

"I believe there is merit to that in maintaining some consistency of short-, mid- and long-term goals," he said. 

Day-to-day operations like the hiring and training of sheriff's office recruits, purchasing equipment and approving medical costs for inmates all have to be run by commissioners, Norris said. Commissioners are often questioning his actions, which impacts the trust between elected officials, he said. 

"I am constantly trying to educate some of these commissioners that, quite frankly, maybe never managed people before or are unfamiliar with what the necessities of law enforcement are when serving the public," Norris said. 

A county manager could handle many of the day-to-day operations while elected officials address other pressing items. Norris said the absence of long-term planning due to commissioner turnover leads to delayed or poorly planned decision-making. 

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Nearly 100 individuals attended the Optional Forms of Government Study Commission meeting Wednesday night. Some held signs demanding the removal of OFGSC Chair Dave Botting. Photo courtesy Kootenai County.