The Grange up on Mica Flats was the place to be last night. On a cold and rainy night, it was a haven of welcoming faces, a roaring fireplace, coffee with homemade cookies and a lively Candidate Forum for the County Commissioner Republican primary. Incumbent Todd Tondee and his challenger Tim Herzog were present, as well as incumbent Rick Currie and challengers Tom Cronin and Jai Nelson. They all comprised the panel up on the quaint, wooden stage.

There were also a host of other politicos scattered about the room, including our next County Prosecutor, Barry McHugh who is running unopposed, Rep. Bob Nonnini of Post Falls, also unopposed, Sheriff Rocky Watson, Jim Connell who’s running for State Senate, District 3, Richard Phenneger who’s running for US Senate, current County Commissioner Rich Piazza who’s not up for reelection this time, and many more I’m sure I’ve missed–my apologies in advance.

The room was full of interested citizens asking mostly great questions of the Commission candidates. Some of the “questions” were diatribes with no question mark to be found, but, for the most part, the audience really keyed in on important issues to ask about.

The two that caught my interest the most were questions about a possible Administrator position and about Urban Renewal (no surprise that I asked that one).

On the Administrator subject, Todd Tondee spoke in favor, suggesting such a position could save the county money and allow more time for the commissioners to do future planning. Tom Cronin agreed, saying it would foster better leadership. And Jai Nelson (pronounced “Jay”, but she’s a she) was quite thoughtful in her response and pointed out the need for the Administrator to be under the commissioners, not above them which would create a position of too much power. Tim Herzog was against the Administrator idea, stating it would increase the bureaucracy and Rick Currie agreed, ending with a strong comment about “if you don’t want to do the work, don’t run for the position.” A very interesting diversity of opinions.

On the subject of Urban Renewal, I asked about the strengths and/or problems with urban renewal, as well as the impacts on the taxpayers of Kootenai County. I asked Tom Cronin, who was in the middle of the lineup, to start the responses. Tom basically stated that Urban Renewal is not a county thing, that it is really only about the urban renewal districts themselves and doesn’t impact much outside those areas. Todd Tondee disagreed. Todd clearly delineated the difference between how Post Falls uses urban renewal and how LCDC in CdA uses the tool. He is in favor of specific tasks and goals for a district, then closing it down. He even suggested a possible change in state law to that effect. Tim Herzog was informative on the subject as well, supporting the PF methodology, and Jai Nelson seemed to understand well the impacts of urban renewal on all county residents and articulated the need for a citizen oversight committee for urban renewal. Rick Currie wrapped things up with a clear statement about the differences between the positive uses of urban renewal in Post Falls and the problems with the LCDC in CdA, noting the costs to all county residents.

The Forum was a great opportunity to see the styles and personalities of the various candidates. Here’s my quick take:

Tim Herzog: sincere, hard working but unsure on many issues.

Todd Tondee: focused, impressive, seems to be on the right track.

Tom Cronin: casual, affable, not much detail, lots of general statements

Rick Currie: confident, specific, energetic, dedicated

Jai Nelson: organized, well-spoken, prepared, caring

The people of the Mica Grange were wonderful to meet. They are informed and serious about their government. They are willing to gather and get involved, and that was the most impressive of all.