Forum hosts commissioner contenders

SANDPOINT — At a Wednesday gathering of candidates, community members, and media personnel, four aspiring Bonner County commissioners spoke about their platforms.

Candidates were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and share closing remarks; all candidates were asked a common series of questions and offered two minutes to respond. 

Bonner County commissioner, District 1 

Democrat Steve Johnson is facing Republican Brian Domke to represent District 1 on the BOCC. Johnson told audience members he wishes to bring common sense leadership to Bonner County’s government, and said he believes that cost of living, especially cost of housing, is the greatest challenge the county is facing. 

Johnson emphasized the importance of completing Bonner County’s comprehensive plan and ensuring area residents have access to affordable housing options. 

“I kind of disagree with the idea that there's only room for some of us,” Johnson said. “I think we can make room for all of us who want to share our quality of life and our love for this area.” 

Domke also saw completing the comprehensive plan as a critical task and advocated for a data-driven approach to the process. He added that he supports charging impact fees to developers and that county code for land use regulations needs to be thoughtfully written and enforceable. 

“Right now, when you go and have a public hearing for a potential land use issue, it's kind of the wild, wild west,” Domke said. “It's more driven by personality than by findings of facts and consistent execution of the law.” 

Bonner County commissioner, District 3 

Republican Ron Korn and independent candidate Glenn Lefebvre are seeking to serve as the District 3 commissioner for Bonner County. At the forum, Korn said the greatest challenge the county is facing is land use, and that commercial businesses moving into rural areas and disrupting residents is a key problem.

Korn shared his desire to preserve liberty and freedom for residents and told audience members, “I'm not a keyboard warrior. I'm a man of action.” 

“We, as commissioners, are in charge of a $75 million budget. How would you like that money to be spent?” Korn asked. “Do you want it spent on critical infrastructure and safety, or do you want to squander it on social programs?” 

Lefebvre cited growth and land use as Bonner County’s key challenges, and said he believed the county needs to hire a professional planning commissioner or comprehensive plan consultant. 

Lefebvre voiced support for protecting natural resources and access to public lands, and suggested charging fees to tourists making use of the county’s recreational opportunities. 

“Out-of-state user fees would be great for recreational facilities,” Lefebvre said. “We have many states surrounding us, and they come here. That's an untapped resource that we need to get into.” 

Full broadcast 

A link to the forum’s complete audio recording by KRFY is available on the web at krfy.org. A video stream of the event is featured on the Bonner County Daily Bee Facebook page at facebook.com/@dailybee/.

    Steve Johnson (D), candidate for District 1 Bonner County commissioner.
  

    Brian Domke (R), candidate for District 1 Bonner County commissioner.
  

    Ron Korn (R), candidate for District 3 Bonner County commissioner.
  

    Glenn Lefebvre, independent candidate for District 3 Bonner County commissioner.