MY TURN: The fault in our stars

I’m not a huge fan of my local cable company. Every year, they raise my bill without significantly improving their service. Because they have no direct competition, my choices are limited: pay what they demand or find another provider.

The city of Hayden is experiencing a similar frustration with the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners (BOCC). Although the BOCC is a three-member board, its current majority has acted as a single bloc on this issue. They have effectively dictated the terms of our public safety contract while providing little room for the city to discuss what services we receive or how those services are measured.

The BOCC reduced the number of deputies assigned to patrol Hayden from 10 in fiscal year 2025 to five in FY 2026, with four proposed for FY 2027. During that same period, Hayden has agreed to provide more than $1 million annually for contracted public safety, including patrol deputies, an animal control officer, and detective pool services.

The city has repeatedly asked the BOCC to demonstrate greater accountability that Hayden taxpayers are receiving commensurate service with what the city pays. Despite those requests and promises to address our concerns, the BOCC has acknowledged it cannot provide that assurance.

Commissioner Mattare has committed himself to what I believe is a flawed approach: commoditizing public safety and treating enhanced municipal law enforcement as fee-for-service. He continues to promote his white paper, despite the Association of Idaho Cities identifying nine significant flaws with his proposal, including that his approach is unlawful. 

Commissioner Mattare’s response was, in his words, “… the response is that my numbers are wrong, not that there isn’t a problem.”

At its most recent meeting, the Hayden City Council voted against entering a third year of reduced services authorized by the BOCC. That was not a decision to abandon public safety; it was a decision to stop accepting reduced service under the existing arrangement.

Our staff is working to identify alternatives while the Council plans for how best to provide long-term public safety for Hayden residents.

Like the cable customer with little leverage, Hayden’s issue is straightforward: if we’re paying more than $1 million annually for an enhanced public-safety contract, we should be able to negotiate the services we receive, demand accountability, and work with our county partners to address any shortcomings.

That is the issue I believe our entire community deserves to understand.

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Alan Davis is the mayor of Hayden.