Commissioners, assessor spar over personnel policy

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County elected officials sparred Thursday over reports that Assessor Bèla Kovacs may have improperly disciplined an employee. 

Commissioners convened for the tense special meeting, prompted after an employee within the assessor’s office was reportedly locked out of county systems Sept. 9, without warning or explanation. 

Sources within county government told The Press the employee remained locked out and unable to perform work duties until Thursday morning, when Kovacs placed the employee on paid administrative leave, still without providing a reason for the discipline. 

“We cannot be in a situation where employees have had something done to them, whether that’s removing some sort of access to a work tool or being placed on an administrative leave, without them understanding exactly why this is being done,” said Commissioner Bruce Mattare. “I thought it was prudent to bring this to the board’s attention.” 

Kovacs said he believes it’s not always practical to give employees notice or explanation for why they’re being placed on leave or disciplined. 

“Sometimes you face a situation and you’re not afforded the luxury of time and what you need to do is take action and ask questions later, in order to safeguard and protect information,” he said. 

Kovacs told commissioners that IT staff implemented measures beyond what he had asked, though he declined to answer questions about what he had directed IT staff to do. He also said he conferred with the county’s HR department before taking action against the employee. 

“We’ve consulted every time,” Kovacs said. 

“But the wrong direction was followed this last time,” replied HR director Sylvia Proud. 

Mattare noted this is the second such incident during Kovacs’ tenure. In March 2023, commissioners questioned Kovacs after he placed an employee on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons and “with no path forward.” 

The employee reportedly told commissioners Kovacs did not provide any explanation for the administrative leave, though Kovacs has maintained he did so. 

Both Kovacs and Mattare alluded to past conflicts between the assessor and the board, including Kovacs’ successful lawsuit to restore his pay after a previous iteration of the board voted to cut his salary in half after he missed statutory deadlines and failed to perform some of his duties. 

“There are ways for us to work together,” Kovacs told commissioners Thursday. “We need to find ways to do that.” 

“We would argue the same,” Commissioner Leslie Duncan replied. “You have not been transparent with the board. You have not worked with us, either. And you sit here and spin your perception of it.” 

Commissioners directed HR personnel and county legal counsel to examine county policy on how employees are placed on administrative leave.