COEUR d'ALENE - A lot of Kootenai County's outlook in 2015 will depend on the two new commissioners elected in November to the three-person board.

County Commissioner-elect David Stewart said his schedule shows he will be sworn in at 10 a.m. on Jan. 12.

He has asked that fired Coeur d'Alene Airport Director Greg Delavan's employee file be on his desk by noon that day for his review. Look for an executive session shortly afterward, Stewart said Friday.

While reinstating Delavan or hiring a new director will be his first priority in 2015, airport expansion also makes his to-do list, he said.

Another top item on Stewart's list of priorities is a wage increase for Kootenai County Sheriff's Office deputies.

"Currently there are nine sheriff patrol deputy openings, due to them leaving Kootenai County for higher pay," Stewart said.

The county continually spends tens of thousands of dollars hiring and training sheriff deputies, only to lose them soon afterward to neighboring departments that pay more, he said.

"In just a few more years the senior level command staff and sheriff deputies will be retiring, taking with them their years of knowledge, experience, and more importantly, life experience," Stewart said.

Sheriff's deputies with only a few years experience will be all that's left to fill the void, he said.

"In my opinion this is something that needs to be addressed right away," he said.

This is all music to Sheriff Ben Wolfinger's ears.

"The issues and concerns of 2014 will continue to be with us" in 2015, Wolfinger said Friday. "Jail overcrowding, attracting and retaining personnel, (and) wages and benefits competitive with the market where we continue to lose both sworn and civilian personnel are on my list."

Wolfinger said having two brand-new commissioners will dictate much of what happens in county government in 2015.

Additionally, Stewart anticipates discussing a proposed new jail, as the existing facility remains overcrowded and prisoners have to be transported to other facilities in the region.

"I was opposed to the judicial confirmation (process) that was sought by Commissioners (Dan) Green and (Todd) Tondee," Stewart said. "I am also opposed to the privately-owned, leased, facility that has been presented."

Green will continue on the board, but Tondee and Commissioner Jai Nelson won't this year.

Finally, look for Stewart to take on the issue of term limits for those who serve on the county's various advisory boards.

"I'm not sure I agree with (term limits) and will be bringing this up for discussion in the near future," Stewart said.

He also wants to tackle employee morale.

"Currently the employment at the sheriff's department is 'for cause' and the rest of the county is 'at will' employment," he said, meaning if a county employee doesn't work at the sheriff's office they can be fired at any time without reason.

"I will bring for discussion making all of the county 'for cause' employment as I believe this might be the reason the county has so many employee lawsuits they are currently defending, or will be defending in the future," Stewart said.

It's his understanding, he said, that the county has paid more than $1 million dollars in employee claims in the past couple of years.

He plans to determine if "at will" employment is part of the reason that many of the claims against the county are being filed.

County Commissioner-elect Marc Eberlein said the county land-use regulations and the comprehensive plan will be priorities in addition to the jail, airport and employee morale.

Kootenai County Clerk Jim Brannon said his goal is to streamline processes in 2015. As county clerk he is the chief elections officer, clerk of the District Court, the auditor, recorder and the commissioners' clerk.

"The more efficient we can be, the less taxes we all pay," said Brannon, who was elected to his first full term in November.