SANDPOINT — Familiar themes and tropes dominated Bonner County commission contests during the Sandpoint Reader’s candidate forum on Wednesday.

Bonner County commission candidates orbited around land use issues, a clutch of wrongful termination suits and claims of low morale among county employees.

District 2 candidate Jeff Connolly, who’s challenging incumbent Todd Sudick for the GOP nomination in the May 17 primary, said partisan politics and an imperious leadership styles are clouding planning and zoning matters.

“Obviously, there’s way to change things and that’s through collaboration,” said Connolly, a longtime Priest River councilman.

The board’s decision to change the appeals code without P&Z approval has caused unease in the community and raised concerns that development regulations are becoming too lax.

Sudick defended the board’s streamlining of the land use appeal process and other changes that are meant to make it easier and quicker for consumers and reduce the county’s paternalistic role in P&Z.

“We try to protect property owners’ rights,” said Sudick.

Discussion of property rights segued into the county’s comp plan. District 3 candidate Dan McDonald, who is running to succeed Chairman Cary Kelly, said he could draw a straight line between the comp plan and a loss of jobs in the community.

But when an online forum participant challenged McDonald to connect the plan with lost jobs, McDonald was unable to. McDonald mentioned two anecdotes about landowners who became involved in protracted and costly efforts to carry out relatively simple land use actions, neither of which addressed lost jobs.

“This is all due to the comp plan,” said McDonald.

Lewie Rich, a former commissioner who is also seeking the GOP nod for the District 3 seat, said the comp plan was always a “living document” that was to be modified and tweaked to meet the particular needs of Bonner County.

Sudick, however, noted that the plan was partially cribbed from Issaquah, Wash., which Sudick deemed one of the most liberal counties in that state.

“What we need is a plan that fits Bonner County,” said Sudick.

Connolly said changes to the plan should done with input from the public.

“Let’s get the public (involved) and see what they want,” he said.

On the issue of employee morale, Rich noted there have been nearly a half-dozen wrongful termination filed against the county recently, including suits brought by former Planning Director Clare Marley and former Senior Planner Dan Carlson. Rich also took issue with the board’s decision to make appointed department heads at-will employees, meaning they can be fired without cause.

“Something’s going on that doesn’t make sense,” said Rich.

Sudick said the for-cause/at-will change was done to mirror what many other counties in Idaho have done. He added that he sees no disgruntlement with the employees he interacts with.

McDonald also disputed that morale is tanking and pointed out that there are always going to be a few malcontents, especially with a large employer such as the county.

“Everybody seems happy they have their job,” said McDonald.