Will an open space bond be floated again? It's unclear

COEUR d’ALENE — After Kootenai County voters rejected a $50 million bond meant to curtail development on the Rathdrum Prairie, it’s unclear whether the concept will come before voters again.

The bond, which would have been paid back over 20 years, needed two-thirds voter approval in order to pass. In the Nov. 7 election, it received 14,335 (47%) votes in favor and 16,135 (53%) votes against.

Commissioner Leslie Duncan, who voted unanimously with her fellow commissioners to put the bond to a public vote, said she’s glad the community had a chance to have their say, whatever the outcome.

“I wanted the community to be able to vote on a measure that would be an alternative to watching the prairie disappear with the construction of homes,” she said.

Commissioner Bill Brooks said he wasn’t surprised to see the bond fail.

He believes commissioners failed to pitch it to Kootenai County voters and explain what they saw as the benefits — namely preserving open space in order to protect the area’s drinking water supply by purchasing land over the aquifer and providing public recreational space while preserving the land’s natural character.

“I don’t think we, as a board, did our job if we really wanted this open space,” he said.

Duncan said the bond would have enabled the county to purchase and protect places for families to recreate and enjoy the natural beauty of Kootenai County.

“I think had it passed, it would have been a good opportunity for our community, similar to New York’s Central Park and Spokane’s Riverfront Park, but on a smaller scale,” she said.

Duncan said she thinks the county’s outreach ahead of Election Day was sufficient but there was no “private, centralized, concerted” effort to advocate for the bond.

“When the previous (Board of County Commissioners) contemplated the bond, there were several community members who indicated they would advocate for the bond via a nonprofit organization but that never came to fruition,” she said.

Brooks said he thinks some voters who favor preserving open space on the Rathdrum Prairie were hesitant to support the bond because they didn’t have enough information about how the $50 million would be spent and exactly how the county would use the land purchased with the funds.

“What is open space?” Brooks said. “It’s not for whatever tickles somebody’s fancy.”

He indicated he’ll support floating another bond if the answers to those questions are more clearly defined.

“Nobody trusts government,” he said. “To give the government $50 million to go play with, you’ve really got to be a trusting soul.”

For her part, Duncan said she would consider re-running the bond if there is “extensive community interest.”

Commissioner Bruce Mattare did not respond to requests for comment.

    Duncan