MY TURN: Don't take the bait: why Bayview must hold the county accountable

I grew up in this area, and Bayview is my home. You might know me as the Race Commodore for the Lake Pend Oreille Yacht Club, or maybe you’ve seen my black sailboat, A Foot Short, out on the water during race days.

At our recent community meeting about the future of the Bayview boat launch, I saw firsthand what makes this town so special. Faced with the threat of losing our facilities, a lot of folks were ready to just roll up their sleeves, accept the hand-off from the Lakes Highway District, and manage the launch ourselves. Even great local groups like the Lake Pend Oreille Fishing Club have generously offered to step up and take it on.

I love that independent spirit — it's why I live here. But as a veteran, an Idaho business owner and your neighbor, I know a trap when I see one. Taking over this launch — whether by passing the hat or leaning on a local nonprofit — is a massive bureaucratic bailout for Kootenai County. We shouldn't take the bait.

Here is the reality: Bayview is unincorporated. We don’t have a city council, a parks department or the tax structure to cover liability insurance, dock repairs and pumping the bathrooms. Pushing this onto us is just a stealth tax. It’s a tax increase the county lacks the courage to put on paper, forcing residents to pay out of pocket to maintain what is actually a county-wide public asset.

We are just as much a part of Kootenai County as Coeur d'Alene. We matter, and we shouldn't be treated as a disposable afterthought just because we live on the edge of the map. I’m a Libertarian, and I can't stand property taxes. But this year, the commissioners dragged a 3% property tax hike out of us anyway. What exactly are we paying for if they won't even maintain basic infrastructure?

The Bayview launch isn’t just a neighborhood dock. It’s one of only two public launches on the entire south end of the lake. It’s an economic lifeline. Yet the commissioners are playing hot potato with Lakes Highway District to dodge a lease that amounts to a rounding error in their massive budget.

Remember two years ago? This very commission yanked a Bayview dock with zero notice and cut the pilings, severing our winter emergency access. They only backpedaled because we stood shoulder-to-shoulder and pushed back hard.

This current mess has been dragging on for nearly two years now, and that is two years too long. Frankly, I don’t care who technically has jurisdiction, and it’s not our job to care. We elected them, and they work for us. Their job is to sit down with other elected and appointed officials, figure it out and follow the will of the citizens. It is well past time they did that.

There is a public comment meeting coming up Oct. 22. We need to show up in force and voice our stance. Instead of negotiating our own surrender or bailing the county out, let’s stand up, hold them accountable and demand they do their jobs.

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Steve Straughen is a leader with Lake Pend Oreille Yacht Club in Bayview.