Sandpoint thumbs nose at public input

Transparency in government must not be in the city operation manual in Sandpoint. 

As mentioned in a previous editorial, the idea of a city administrator to run the daily operations of the city is, to me, a great idea. But now I wonder if a hidden agenda isn’t in the works, or a candidate was long-ago selected and the hiring process is just a front to pacify some “equal opportunity” wrangling.

According to city attorney Scot Campbell, public input isn’t required.

You are correct with a textbook answer, Mr. Campbell, but most of your employers — i.e.: the public — are tired of textbook answers. Most of us are tired of government doing what they want without consideration to the wishes of the public. Not including a public input process is just cramming something else down our throats and frankly, just results in distrust and eventually significant changes in the staffing both on the elected level and hired level.

The idea of openness in the process isn’t to dictate who is hired but obviously Mayor Carrie Logan and Mr. Campbell have forgotten that buy-in sure goes a long way to helping a process.

In this case, meeting and talking with stakeholders in the community during the hiring process gives the selected candidate a chance to hear concerns from those impacted by issues in the city, not just the picture painted by elected officials and city staff.

And what would it cost? Very little to hold a few community meetings. What would it gain? Trust.

As the city prepares to welcome a new mayor, I urge all residents to ask both candidates this question: How would you have handled the hiring of a city administrator and would you have involved the public? If the answer is no we need to find a write-in candidate quick.

It’s a very disappointing process for those of us who expect government to be open. But then again, in my short time here, it reinforces what many members of the community have told me.

Jim McKiernan is publisher of the Bonner County Daily Bee. He can be reached at jmckiernan@bonnercountydailybee.com.