Mark Addington knows the roads of Harrison.

Not just from living there all his life, he said, but from working road excavation for many of those years.

So he doesn't see it as a huge step to manage roads as East Side Highway District commissioner.

"I have experience in that area (of road maintenance), for one thing, so I enjoy that type of work," said Addington, running for zone 3 commissioner. "And I see there needs to be some changes there."

Addington is well acquainted with the details of transportation projects after working for 20 years at his father's company, Addington Excavating.

That has included dealing with road maintenance, drainage issues, ditching, culverts, even snow plowing and gravel work, he said.

"I understand how that's supposed to be done," he said.

The 39-year-old hopes to facilitate communication between the district and the public, he said.

He's already comfortable with hearing concerns from Harrison road users, he added, most of whom he knows personally.

The main thing is understanding what the public wants and bringing that to the board of commissioners, Addington said.

"Having a voice for the local residents," he said.

He would like to see work on Burma Road finished and would strive to continue basic road maintenance.

Addington said he doesn't approve of the three local improvement districts the commissioners recently approved, which will be reviewed by the Kootenai County commissioners.

"I just don't think that was the right way to come up with the money," he said of the LIDs, intended to pay the match for federal funds for overlay projects. "There's got to be money out there to get somehow."

Addington has a bachelor's degree in fisheries and resources from the University of Idaho.

He and his wife, Kelley, have two children.

Addington will aim for a standard of high integrity in office, he said.

"I want to bring some more stability," he said.