COEUR d’ALENE — The issues of growth, future planning and public trust took center stage Thursday when Republican candidates for Kootenai County assessor and commissioner fielded questions at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. 

About 100 people gathered in the library’s Community Room for the forum, presented by Coeur d’Alene Regional Realtors and the North Idaho Building Contractors Association. 

Kootenai County Assessor Bèla Kovacs and challenger Allyson Knapp shared their visions for how to improve communications and public confidence in the office. 

Kovacs, who was appointed to his position in 2020 after the death of his predecessor and then elected in 2022, said he led the office through a “difficult transition.” During his six-year tenure, he said he’s built a tech-savvy team that has emphasized innovation and automated certain processes. 

“The most important way to improve communication and build trust is simple — deliver fair and equitable assessments,” he said. “Trust is earned when taxpayers see that the system is fair and consistent and objective.” 

Kovacs said he aims to leverage technology to “enhance fairness and transparency” in the assessor’s office. 

Knapp is a former chief deputy assessor for Kootenai County with 30 years of experience in appraising. She said her hands-on experience means she knows what the appraisers working in the office need in order to do their jobs well. 

“I believe the assessor’s office needs someone who understands the work, understands the market and can lead the office with consistency, professionalism and accountability,” she said. 

Knapp said she believes technology should be used to help the office “work smarter,” but it can never replace the judgment of experienced appraisers. 

The candidates also weighed in on the new version of the county’s homeowner’s exemption application form, which requires applicants to grant permission to the assessor, as well as any utility company, insurance company, mortgage company and “any other person or entity providing services of any kind” to the property to “release to the Kootenai County assessor whatever information he deems necessary to verify and confirm” the applicant’s Idaho residency. 

Kovacs said his office updated the form to comply with Idaho law, which states that county assessors “may require written or other proof” of an applicant’s occupation of the subject property “in such form as the county assessor may determine.” 

“It’s something we have to do based on statute and law,” he said. 

If elected, Knapp said, she’ll restore the previous homeowner’s exemption application, which she believes better protects the personal privacy of applicants. 

“I definitely feel (the new application) is an overreach of government,” she said. “I don’t believe that we need to know anything about your mortgage or how much money you make in a year. I don’t think that we need to know all of your utility bills and who pays them.” 

In the race for two open seats on the Board of County Commissioners, all four candidates agreed that the county’s comprehensive plan is a priority. 

Kootenai County is updating the comprehensive plan, which addresses topics like growth, economic development, housing, parks, open space and transportation improvements over the next 20 years. 

Bruce Mattare, the incumbent in the District 2 race, said that updated plan will include the county’s zoning overlay. 

“Few people realize that we have not updated our zoning map since the 1970s,” he said. “That’s a big problem, because your zoning map along with your comprehensive plan is what I refer to as your social compact. When you move into a community, you should have some expectation of what is going to happen when you live in a particular location.” 

When it comes to growth, District 2 challenger Steve Em said the county must balance respecting property rights with the impact of land use decisions on neighbors and communities. 

“One of the concerns I hear most is inconsistency,” he said. “We need to get back to clear standards and applying them fairly across the board. I also think our comprehensive plan is something we actually follow, not something we reference when it’s convenient.” 

Julie Hensley and John Padula are running for the District 1 seat currently held by Marc Eberlein, who is not seeking reelection. 

Hensley said the updated comprehensive plan should be transparent. 

“We need to make sure we have a comprehensive plan that allows you to know, if you’re buying a property, what you can use that for in the future,” she said. “That comprehensive plan can’t be done without citizens.” 

Padula said that while counties don’t plan growth, they can plan responsibly for growth. He said he believes the county should encourage growth within existing infrastructure and areas of impact and be mindful of resources like water when making land use and zoning decisions. 

“We do not build a healthy community by just pushing ‘buyer beware,’” he said. “We build a healthy community by working together and doing what’s best for the community as a whole.”