Marvin Lekstrum isn't ready to leave Lakes Highway District yet.

"I think we've done a lot, but there are a few more things we want to do," said Lekstrum, running to keep his zone 3 commissioner seat in the May election. "We want to continue to make savings, which is more difficult to make now."

The district has seen a budget makeover and change in culture under his and the other district commissioners' leadership, Lekstrum said.

For instance, the district has conducted more engineering and surveying in-house to save on contracted work, he said, and it uses new and advanced equipment to run projects more efficiently.

"One of the biggest differences in cost was doing the engineering work and how we build roads," the 79-year-old said.

The commissioners have also retooled the management structure at the district, Lekstrum added.

Before Lekstrum and the others took office, he said, the district's employees had to run every decision past the commissioners.

Now the road supervisor, engineer, assistant supervisor and foreman all have much more responsibility, Lekstrum said.

"The board micro-managed everything," said Lekstrum, who has served one term as commissioner. "We've sort of changed it. Now the supervisors run the program, and we just write policy."

As far as future plans, Lekstrum wants to see the district finish work on Lancaster and Diagonal roads, he said.

The district is also continuing to work with the Idaho Transportation Department on frontage roads by U.S. Highway 95, he added.

Lekstrum hopes to partner again with ITD to create a park-and-ride at Garwood and U.S. 95.

"Citylink could pick people up who are coming in from the north, and take them the rest of the way to town," said Lekstrum, who lives in Coeur d'Alene.

Folks could also meet there to carpool, he said.

"I think as gas prices go up, carpools will become more and more popular," he said.

Originally from Twentynine Palms, Calif., Lekstrum has a bachelor's degree in physics from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va.

According to his resume, he served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, and worked as a lead engineer for telemetry and data communications for NASA's Deep Space Tracking Net. He also was project engineer for the ground end of communications system for the Mariner Program, he said.

Lekstrum also worked as vice president of international operations at ISC Systems Corporation in Spokane, and has helped develop software for large computer systems.

He has worked as a substitute teacher at Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy and School District 271.

Now a widower, Lekstrum has children and grandkids spread across the country and in Canada, he said.

Lekstrum said his background gives him plenty of knowledge to draw from.

"I've had a lot of experience running things," he said.