The Improvement District does not endorse candidates. Rather, we urge all eligible residents to research the candidates, request your mail-in ballot, and vote!
Voting in the 2020 Idaho Primary Election will take place via a 100% mail-in ballot.
Click here to register or request a ballot. Deadline: 8:00 p.m., May 19.
Your ballot must reach the Kootenai Count Clerk by 8:00 p.m., June 2.
Kootenai County Sheriff
Five candidates, Mike Bauer, Kim Edmonson, John Grimm, Robert Norris, and Rick Whitehead, are vying for the office of Kootenai County Sheriff. The person elected to this office will affect staffing for and enforcement of county ordinances related to recreation and use of Hayden Lake. The Sheriff will impact development and travel within the watershed as well.
The Hayden Lake Watershed Association hosted a Kootenai County sheriff candidates’ forum via virtual meeting on April 23, 2020. Questions and answers focused on lake and waterways issues in advance of the May election.
Questions for the Candidates
After providing personal information regarding their policing experience and qualifications, the five candidates shared their responses to the following questions:
The incumbent Sheriff believes that the lack of qualified deputies, not budget, is the primary obstacle to adequately policing our lakes. Do you agree with his assessment? Describe your plan to find and hire qualified candidates?
What do you see as the Sheriff’s department’s role in managing the conflict between waterway users’ groups?
Would you favor mandatory boater education for all new boat owners in Kootenai county and current drivers 18 years old or younger?
Kootenai County regulations specify no-wake zones on lakes within 200 feet of shoreline docks, piers, breakwaters, or a person in the water. How would your deputies enforce existing regulations?
The candidates responded to these and other vital issues, in writing, before the forum. Read their submissions on the HLWA’s page: 2020 Kootenai County Sheriff Candidate Forum.
County Commissioners, District 1 and District 2
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is the governing body of Kootenai County. The Board enacts laws, ensures compliance with regulations, and secures professional services for the county. Two of three County Commissioner positions are open for election. Incumbent Bill Brooks faces opponents Nicholas Henderson and David Stewart for the District 1 4-year term. District 2 incumbent Chris Fillios, along with Greg Delavan and Elizabeth Jacobsen, is running for a 2-year position. Given that the majority of the Hayden Lake Watershed is under the governance of Kootenai County, these individuals can be significant stakeholders in the work of the Improvement District.
In addition to the Sheriff and County Commissioner, voters will elect the County Prosecuting Attorney, three judges, and a Senator and Representatives in each of the Idaho Legislative Districts in Kootenai county. At the state level, we get to choose one Senator and one Representative. Voters will encounter two non-partisan advisory issues: yes/no support for Urban Renewal Districts and yes/no support for a Community Reentry Center. The ballot is packed. Please educate yourself regarding the offices, issues, and people involved. And vote!