COEUR d'ALENE - A lobby for the north.

Discussions are continuing among the five northern counties over a much debated idea of hiring a lobbyist to represent them in the state legislature.

"It's something we're just talking about," said Kootenai County Commissioner Rick Currie. "There are certain items throughout the legislative sessions that affect just North Idaho, and so it is advantageous to have somebody representing that group."

A lobbyist for the northern counties would ensure that regional issues don't go overlooked, some of the commissioners say, and would also provide a proxy for commissioners at the Legislature.

The matter has been discussed for several years, but has been set aside because of higher priorities and turnover in the county offices, said Jon Cantamessa, Shoshone County commissioner.

"Drawing a line between north and south Idaho, that's not the issue," Cantamessa said. "It's just that sometimes there are some things more pertinent in our area."

Timber issues are different in the north than in southern Idaho, for example, he said. North Idaho also looks at water issues differently because it has abundant water, while the rest of the state is more arid.

Jack Buell, Benewah County commissioner, said there are no specific issues the counties want to lobby for right now, but they would prefer having someone to represent them at the Legislature whenever a need arises.

"Lobbyists lobby when something comes up, and hits them in the nose," he said.

The main obstacle has been the issue of budgeting for the position, Buell said. Even though none of the counties could give an estimate of how much the lobbyist would cost between them, the salary would likely be steep.

"They (lobbyist salaries) vary. It just depends on whether lobbyists have got lots of other clients," Buell said.

Cantamessa, however, said that a way around the cost is to split it between 10 counties instead of five, by including counties below Benewah and Shoshone.

"They're still part of the Panhandle," Cantamessa said, adding that the lower five counties haven't been approached yet.

Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, said he thinks the lobbyist would be a questionable expenditure.

The Idaho Association of Counties already provides three lobbyists to represent all 44 counties, he pointed out, and he believes they do an excellent job.

"They're in the capital everyday, and they're very competent. They have a good working relationship with the Legislature," Henderson said.

If the counties have particular issues they want to see addressed, he added, they can contact their local legislators.

"That's what we are elected for, to represent our local people," Henderson said. "I visit with commissioners from other counties frequently. Not every week or every month, but I call them and they call me. We're always working with government officials."

Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, couldn't think of a geographic region in Idaho that has hired its own lobbyist before.

He agreed North Idaho does have some interests separate from the rest of the state, but he questioned how much impact the lobbyist would have with those.

"Almost 100 percent of the time, issues of importance to North idaho, whether it be from the counties or the cities or anything else, are interests of importance to the local legislators in North Idaho," he said. "And boy it isn't hard to convince them that they need to be aware of what's going on."

Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, said he wondered if those counties would drop out of IAC entirely, if they decided to have their own lobbyist and not use the ones IAC provides.

"I think it's unnecessary and a waste of money," he said.

Cantamessa pointed out that he thinks the IAC lobbyists are spread too thin in representing all 44 counties.

"They are representing things that are only of interest for all the state," he said. "There could be different issues the entire state isn't interested in."

Buell agreed.

"When there's issues, they (the IAC lobbyists) try to make us aware of it," he said. "But you know, we're awful busy, so it stretches us and it stretches them."

Tony Poinelli, deputy director at IAC, said there is truth to what the commissioners say.

The IAC lobbyists are charged with following issues that only affect the majority of Idaho counties, he said.

"I do know there are issues at times that may affect a few counties around the state of Idaho, and it's tough for us as a staff to necessarily to deal with those, because it doesn't affect the majority," Poinelli said.

The three lobbyists have to monitor up to hundreds of issues per legislative session, he added, and can be overwhelmed. So additional lobbyists wouldn't be out of line.

"As long as it (their lobbying) doesn't go outside the direction or run in opposite directions of where the IAC membership wants to go, our board has not found a problem with it," he said.

Commissioners from Boundary and Bonner counties couldn't be reached for comment.

Currie admitted that a decision among the northern counties is still far off.

"It could happen," he said. "But five counties have to agree on the scope and the cost."