COEUR d'ALENE - There is one seat open in the Lakes Highway District election that will be held on May 19, and two people want it.

Diane Fountain is challenging incumbent Highway Commissioner Dan Malcolm for the No. 2 seat in sub-district 3.

"I ran four years ago," Fountain said. "My biggest concern is the taxpayer needs someone to represent them."

Fountain, who was born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, said she has been watching the Lakes Highway District meetings for the past few years and said the commissioner who represents her goes south for the winter.

"He leaves for three to five months every year," she said, adding that while he does call in to the district business meetings, he is not fully accessible to the taxpayers when he isn't in town.

"I will be here year-round if I am elected," Fountain said. "I will be accessible to the taxpayers."

Malcolm ran for the seat four years ago as well, but was defeated by the late Marv Lekstrum. Malcolm was appointed to Lekstrum's seat after Lekstrum died in 2012.

"I had retired from Central Premix and I wasn't ready to just lay down and die," Malcolm said. "You can only play so much golf."

He said his experience with bidding large projects benefits the district and has saved money over the past three years.

"The biggest thing I would like to accomplish is watching our grants," he said, adding the district is very close to getting an $8 million grant to put a bridge over Diagonal and Ramsey Road.

Fountain, who served as treasurer for the highway district in the past, said her 30 years of financial experience would benefit the district.

Fountain currently works part time as an administrative assistant for the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency. She has more than nine years of experience with governmental accounting.

If elected, her top two priorities will be transparency and fiscal responsibility.

"I want to provide transparency and accountability with taxpayers," she said. "I also want fiscal responsibility without jeopardizing safety and the maintenance of our roads."

• Did you know?

Highway district commissioners are responsible for the maintenance and construction of all secondary roads within their districts.

Under Idaho statute, salaries for highway district commissioners are fixed by the commissioners in each district and they are part of the annual budget.

The Lakes Highway District is governed by a three-member commission. The commission chair is paid $750 per month and the other two commissioners receive $700 per month.

• Dan Malcolm

Age: 71

Education: Four years at University of Idaho, studying business administration, but dropped out to open a barber shop.

Experience: 40 years of business experience involving management of construction, bidding of public works projects, managing employees and business financing.

Residency in district: 9 years, but 37 years in Kootenai County.

• Diane Fountain

Age: 55

Education: Several accounting classes at North Idaho College

Experience: 30 years experience with finances and budgeting, with 9 and a half years in the public sector.

Residency in district: 55 years.