COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County Assessor Bèla Kovacs has implemented a policy that grants him the authority to fire employees who run for his position, as well as employees who “assist the candidacy” of Kovacs’ political rivals.

Under the policy, an employee in the assessor’s office who runs for the office of assessor or “assists with a candidacy against the assessor” must resign or face possible employment action, such as termination or an unpaid leave of absence, “if, in the opinion of the assessor, there is a reasonable prediction of disruption” within the assessor’s office. 

The policy took effect Aug. 15. 

“This new policy does not, cannot and will not undermine the inalienable right of suffrage or free speech,” Kovacs told the Press in an emailed statement. “This policy strives to reinforce that there needs to be a separation between conduct of an employee as a private individual vs. an employee’s conduct that cannot be allowed to cause disruption to the operations of the office or the conduct of an employee while they are in the office and on public time and using public resources.” 

Several people who work in the assessor’s office agreed to speak with the Press on the condition that their names not be published. 

Some employees said the new policy makes no distinction between their conduct at work and their conduct outside the workplace, nor does it define what it means to “assist a candidacy.” They questioned whether they could be fired for putting up a yard sign or expressing their support for a candidate other than Kovacs outside of work. 

“I have no problem with a policy being put in place saying we can’t talk politics on the job,” one employee said. “But part of the policy states that I can’t support anyone who may run against Bèla. That’s concerning.”

Kovacs’ position will be up for election next year.  

Allyson Knapp, a former chief deputy assessor who resigned from her position in 2022, has announced that she will challenge Kovacs in the May 19, 2026, Republican primary election.  

Kovacs said he adopted the new policy because of events that occurred more than three years ago. 

Ahead of the Republican primary election in 2022, more than 30 county employees issued a vote of no confidence in Kovacs and called on him to end his campaign for election. 

Kovacs’ opponent in the primary election, Bob Scott, was the residential lead appraiser for the assessor’s office at that time. Scott, who has since retired, did not sign the letter of no confidence. 

Kovacs said Knapp and Scott mounted “an internal campaign” to oppose Kovacs’ candidacy. He suggested that Knapp led a group of employees who “pressured and intimidated fellow employees under the threat of retaliation to join them in publicly advocating against” him. 

The new policy “was issued with the hope and goal of avoiding a repeat of what transpired in 2022,” Kovacs said. 

Knapp said Kovacs is wrong. She said she accepted the position of chief deputy assessor in 2021 with the intention of “helping him build a strong and functional department.” 

“What I walked into was an office in turmoil,” she said. “Staff were already struggling with Bèla’s leadership.” 

Knapp said she relayed those concerns to county commissioners, but the assessor is an elected official independent of the commissioners.

Knapp said she was not involved in writing or distributing the letter about the vote of no confidence, nor did she sign it. She said she was not involved in Scott’s campaign.

Kovacs said the policy is “an adaptation” of a similar policy created by the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program, Kootenai County’s insurer. The assessor’s office policy “was issued after a review by county legal counsel with approval as to content and form,” Kovacs said.  

"The ICRMP policy is not a new policy but has been around for years," the release said. "In 2022, ICRMP’s Candidacy for Elective policy was recommended by the Human Resources Department as an example policy for consideration and adoption."

Tim Osborne, executive director of ICRMP, said ICRMP makes numerous model policies available for counties to adopt or customize to suit their needs. The model policy on candidacy for elected office is meant to provide guidance for how to handle such a situation if it becomes disruptive to the workplace. 

“When you have someone who is running against the current elected official, it can sometimes cause disruption,” Osborne said. “If the disruption gets to the level where the entity’s services are not being taken care of, then something has to be done. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.”   

It’s unclear how many counties have adopted similar policies. 

Osborne said ICRMP did not work with Kootenai County to tailor Kovacs’ version of the policy.

Several employees said they’re grappling with the decision to sign off on a policy they believe is unfair.

“Morally, I can’t sign it, so I’m going to lose my job,” one employee said.  

The assessor’s policy includes much of the same language as the ICRMP version, including guidance on how to make a “reasonable prediction of disruption.” 

There are differences, as well. For example, the ICRMP policy does not encompass employees who “assist with a candidacy,” only those who run for office. 

“Any decision by the assessor in making a finding that a reasonable prediction of disruption exists shall be final,” the policy says. “Any decision by the assessor that has been made with regard to this policy shall not be subject to review by the Board of County Commissioners.”