Commissioners deny assessor’s request for lawyer

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County commissioners rejected a request on Tuesday from embattled Assessor Béla Kovacs to approve funding for outside legal services.

The request came almost two weeks after commissioners slashed Kovacs’ salary in half, from about $90,000 per year to $45,000, citing a failure to perform the duties of his office.

Kovacs did not specify to commissioners why he needs legal services, though he alluded to his pay cut. He suggested that a conflict of interest exists with the county prosecutor’s office.

“As a result of the action taken recently, there still is a conflict (of interest),” Kovacs said.

He acknowledged that he has access to the county’s legal counsel for matters related to the day-to-day operations of his office.

Commissioners Bill Brooks and Leslie Duncan denied the request.

“When other conflicts have been raised in the past, it was not of a direct personal nature,” Duncan said. “I don’t think this is a wise use of taxpayer dollars at this time.”

Kovacs was appointed to his office in May 2020, after the death of assessor Rich Houser. He won the Republican primary election for the office in May and will face write-in candidate Bob Scott in November.

Before the primary election, 34 county employees signed a statement of no confidence in Kovacs’ ability to lead the assessor’s office.

Following the completion of the annual property value assessments in June, which generated 700 requests for appeals from property owners, Kovacs’ office missed state deadlines to provide the values to the county clerk.

Commissioners said the unprecedented decision to cut Kovacs’ salary came after county employees and other elected officials brought forth “grave concerns” about Kovacs performance.