COEUR d'ALENE - The way the county deals with the future land-use code is what drove these two candidates to run for the seat vacated by County Commissioner Jai Nelson.

Republican candidate David Stewart is running against Democrat Jerry Shriner for the District 2 commission seat.

Stewart said the failed attempt to pass the Unified Land Use Code is what prompted him to run. Even though the ULUC effort has been defeated, he wants to ensure the land use code updates are handled in a way that doesn't unnecessarily jeopardize personal property rights.

"I have 80 acres and I want to set aside 60 acres for our kids," Stewart said. "The way things were going with the ULUC, they were going to devalue my property."

Stewart said he has talked with the new community development director at the county to get a feel for how the process is going now, but has yet to get the information he requested.

"I am still waiting to see what the changes are," he said, adding that he has been meeting with department heads to get a feel for what he will face if he is elected next week.

"I will know a lot about the issues they have, if I am elected," Stewart said.

Shriner said he got into the race because he doesn't trust Stewart to lead the county's land use update, which is currently underway.

Shriner originally ran in the primary election to seek the Democratic nomination to run against Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene.

He said when he saw Stewart was going to go unchallenged, he filed as a write-in candidate to win the Democratic nomination against Stewart.

"This one was serious. The other race was just a maneuver," Shriner said, explaining that he was only running at the state level to hold a spot on the ballot for another candidate who was planning to run against Nonini, but that candidate ultimately decided against that.

Shriner said some of Stewart's supporters give him cause for concern. Stewart is an active member of the Northwest Property Owners Association.

"My mom used to say: 'Tell me who you run with and I will tell you who you are,'" Shriner said, adding the NWPOA has a very narrow, ultraconservative view on land use.

"I am running because I want to create opportunities to bring people together on these issues," he said. "There is a broad interest and range of opinions on land use.

"Dave believes there is only one opinion, and that is NWPOA's view," he continued. "This government is about all of the people who live here in Kootenai County - not just the rural property owners."

Shriner likes the direction the new community development director has taken with the land use update process, but said it will take leadership to bring all parties together and finish the process successfully.

"If you start with extreme positions, how are we ever going to get things done?" Shriner asked. "There is a broad spectrum of views out there, and there just isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to this.

"The truth is somewhere in between."

One place both candidates come close to agreeing is the need to improve employee morale and compensation.

Stewart cited a recent employee survey which says only 15 percent of the county employees have confidence in the decision-making of the current elected officials in the county, and 80 percent of the employees answered their questionnaires negatively.

"This is the reason the county is in so many lawsuits," Stewart said. "The employees are the foundation of the county and you are only as strong as your foundation."

He said the county's low pay issue is costing taxpayers money because they are paying for specialized employee training and then that employee moves elsewhere, to another job for higher pay.

"Kootenai County has not been investing in its employees," he said. "We need to correct those pay issues and go out and recruit mid-level staff."

Then, maybe taxpayers in another jurisdiction could pay to train county employees, he said.

Morale and pay are big issues which need to be addressed, he said, but there are also other important issues such as land use, lawsuits and the jail.

Shriner, who had a career in criminal justice, said he feels he's far more qualified to deal with jail overcrowding.

"I have already said a lot about the jail, but that is my background," he said. "I have worked in many of these programs."

Stewart said he has ideas for dealing with the jail expansion, but ultimately the voters will decide that issue.

He believes the last ballot initiative failed because of the way it was sold to the public. The county wanted a bigger jail than what was needed, so it could generate revenue by taking overflow prisoners from other jurisdictions.

"If we go to the people and sell this appropriately without dubbing it the Hotel Kootenai, I think it could pass," he said. "But if it is sold properly and the people vote to continue along the way we are now, then that's what we'll do.

"I don't believe in circumventing the voter," he said.

Online — Watch video of the candidates discussing some key campaign issues: bit.ly/ShrinerStewartVideoCDAPress

David Stewart

• Age: 51

• Profession: Small business owner

• Educational Background: Studied real estate and was certified in boat mechanics by Outboard Marine Corporation

• Community Service: Church volunteer

• How many years as a resident of your city: 35

• Marital Status: Married 22 years, with two children

• Hobbies: Snowmobile, jet ski, dirt bike

Jerry Shriner

• Age: 71

• Profession: Retired criminal justice specialist

• Educational Background: Criminal justice

• Community Service: Back Country Horsemen, Elder Help, Habitat for Humanity, Bureau of Land Management Resource Advisory Council

• How many years as a resident of your city: 50

• Marital Status: Married 39 years, with four kids and four grandkids

• Hobbies: Horse packing in the wilderness, hunting and ranching