LACLEDE - A sea change has taken hold at the Laclede Water District.

After two years of tumult marked by two recalls, a corruption investigation and abrupt resignations, district officials are hoping for calmer waters ahead.

"We knew there were going to be changes made," said Paul Horgan, chairman of the district's board of directors.

But Horgan never envisioned becoming the board's chairman. He was escorted from the second meeting he ever attended by a Bonner County Sheriff's deputy for questioning the board.

That board no longer exists due to a series of shakeups that began when disaffected patrons continued to raise questions about how it was spending their tax dollars. But those questions and concerns largely fell on deaf ears.

Many of those questions and concerns orbited around the hiring and compensation of Doug Carothers, the water plant superintendent.

Carothers is the son of a former board member and the stepson of Jerry Doyle, who held a seat on the board at the time. District critics said Doyle's hiring and subsequent pay raises smacked of nepotism.

Doyle and fellow board member Randy McLain were the target of a recall attempt in 2013. McLain abruptly resigned, but Doyle's recall failed due to a technical error involving petition signatures.

However, Doyle became the subject of a corruption investigation last year by the Bonner County Prosecutor's Office. Doyle was charged with using public funds for personal gain by voting for raises for Carothers.

The misdemeanor criminal charge against Doyle was dismissed in exchange for Doyle's resignation from the board.

Board member Harvey Hallenbeck was recalled last year. Board member Lou Knapik resigned in February.

Carothers also quit around the time Knapik resigned. Horgan said Carothers apparently told Knapik that he was quitting, but swore him to secrecy. Carothers also shut down the treatment plant.

"The alarms went off in the plant three days later," said Horgan, referring to monitoring equipment.

Customers were not exposed to untreated water due to the district's storage system and Carothers technically didn't break any rules because he notified Knapik of his resignation, said Horgan.

District officials have a good idea of where Carothers relocated to based on documents that were left on an office computer, but decline to publicly disclose his suspected whereabouts. Carothers' Facebook page indicates he now lives in the Denver area.

Carothers' departure also brought about something district customers have long lobbied for - contracting for plant operations rather than having a salaried employee with benefits.

"We're hoping to save in the tens of thousands of dollars," said Horgan.

Horgan said district customers still question decisions and offer constructive criticism. He said Hallenbeck has been coming to meetings to question the board.

"They're holding our feet to the fire just like we were to them," he said.