COEUR d'ALENE — Upon further review, Kootenai County commissioners plan to spread public information duties among existing staff rather than open up a stand-alone position to external candidates.

"We'll divvy up the responsibilities internally with a minor restructure," Commissioner Chris Fillios said. "There will not be a pure PIO (public information officer) because the responsibilities will likely be distributed to three people."

With the decision, the county will be able to save money after an administrative secretary position in the commissioners' office recently went black.

Fillios said specific details of the restructure are expected to be finalized before Labor Day Weekend.

"We decided to take advantage of our internal resources with an eye toward the budget," he said.

The county has done a poor job of communicating its mission, decisions and even its basic organization to the community, so improvements to releasing public information are needed, Fillios said.

"Ask any five Kootenai County residents how many elected officials (nine) we have in the county," Fillios said. "I expect the answers will clue you in as to why we need (communications improvements)."

The decision to stay internal comes about a week after the PIO position was offered to and accepted by former city of Coeur d'Alene Deputy Administrator Sam Taylor before he rescinded his decision the next day and accepted a private job in Montana.

Taylor said that, after visiting with county officials, he questioned how secure the PIO job would be in the future amid the political climate and two new commissioners starting in January.

Fillios said Taylor was chosen after he was the runner-up to Nanci Plouffe for the new senior business analyst position filled in June.

The PIO position has been discussed for several years. Officials believe it would have been the first of its kind in the commissioners' office. The sheriff's office has its own PIO.