Omodt resigns county commission post

SANDPOINT — Bonner County Commission Chair Luke Omodt is stepping down from the District 2 position.

In a brief, two-sentence letter to county clerk Michael Rosedale dated Aug. 20, Omodt announced he was resigning effective Sept. 7 and noted the written communication meets the requirements of Idaho Code.

In an email to the Daily Bee, Omodt declined to comment further, saying he would release a statement about his decision after the county concluded its budget process. The county is scheduled to hold its budget hearing Monday, Aug. 26.

The decision to leave early means Omodt will not serve the remaining four months of his term, which was slated to end in January when his successor is sworn into office. In the Nov. 5 general election, Ron Korn will face independent Glenn Lefebvre for the District 2 county commission seat.

The matter on who to nominate as Omodt's replacement was taken up by the Bonner County Republican Central Committee at its Aug. 20 meeting, Chair Scott Herndon told the Daily Bee.

"Luke submitted his resignation Tuesday afternoon, and our regular meeting was Tuesday night. We made the selection that night," Herndon said. "I had put it on the agenda because Luke and I had discussed his possible resignation and its timing."

Ron Korn, the party's nominee for the position in the Nov. 5 general election; Tom Cleveland, Oden Precinct committeeman; and Kim Peckham, Hope Precinct committee person; were selected as potential replacements. State statute requires the party list the three in order of preference with Korn ranked as the top choice, Cleveland second and Peckham third. Also nominated, but not selected, was Cary Kelly, a former commissioner.

Under Idaho Code, the local Republican Central Committee has 15 days from the effective date of Omodt's resignation to submit three potential replacements. The list is then sent to Gov. Brad Little, who has 15 days to appoint one of the three to the soon-to-be-vacant position.

"Outside of an election cycle this would be a little harder because we would have to work a little harder to find what we believe are qualified candidates," Herndon said. "But in this case, with it being so close to the general election, Ron was our endorsed candidate in the May primary and, of course, he won the May primary and so he's the Republican nominee … so it's sort of an easy choice for us."

Herndon said the way the statute is being interpreted, Omodt's resignation will take effect at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 6, freeing up the party to submit its list of potential replacements to the governor to select one of the three candidates to fill the remainder of Omodt's term.

"I think a lot of people are looking forward to Ron getting a head start in the position," Herndon said. "It will give him an opportunity, even before the November general election and before he would take office in January to hit the ground running."

Speculation that the District 3 commissioner planned to resign have been floating for several months, shortly after he lost his re-election bid. The Republican party nomination was won by Ron Korn, who defeated both Omodt and fellow challenger Dimitry Borisov.

The speculation prompted several residents to ask at an Aug. 7 meeting if either Omodt or District 1 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw planned to step away before their terms expire in January. 

Neither Omodt nor Bradshaw can be reelected to their current positions in November — Omodt lost the Republican party primary election for his District 3 seat in May, and Bradshaw chose to challenge incumbent Daryl Wheeler to be the Republican candidate for county sheriff. 

While neither Omodt nor Bradshaw responded to the questions at the meeting, District 2 Commissioner Asia Williams said she expected that if the District 1 and 3 seats — held by Bradshaw and Omodt, respectively — became vacant, she would expect the BCRCC to recommend the party’s May primary election winners for appointment.