Voters to decide on county government structure
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 13 years, 9 months AGO
The Kootenai County board of commissioners announced today that Prosecutor Barry McHugh’s office has been asked to draft a ballot measure to restructure Kootenai County government.
Idaho Statute 31-5001 authorizes the creation of optional forms of county government.
The option on the ballot will be the commission-manager form and will also propose that the county assessor, clerk, coroner and treasurer be appointed rather than elected. The offices of sheriff and prosecutor will continue to be elected. The Board of County Commissioners will continue to be made up of three members.
According to a statement released by the county commissioners' office, a study commission was formed in 1996 to study the issue of restructuring.
The commission recommended the board of commissioners be expanded to five members and the offices of assessor, clerk, coroner, prosecutor, sheriff and treasurer be appointed.
A salary review commission established in 2005 also recommended the board be expanded to five members and the assessor, clerk, coroner, and treasurer positions be appointed. Neither study commission’s recommendations were presented to the citizens for a vote.
If the restructuring measure passes in November, the board will have the authority to hire a manager to carry out specific administrative duties. A sample of the duties would include hiring and dismissal of employees, preparing a preliminary budget for the board’s review and entering into contracts.
One of the primary goals of this restructuring is to streamline decision making with a more efficient and effective process, reports the commissioners' office.
The announcement of the ballot measure states: "All three of the current county commissioners made campaign pledges to allow the voters to decide on having a manager. This ballot measure will fulfill that promise. Ultimately, it’s up to the citizens to determine the appropriate form of county government."
The measure will be on the general election ballot in November 2012 and will require a simple majority for passage.