COEUR D’ALNE, IDAHO – A contingent of Bonner County citizens traveled to Coeur d’Alene on Friday, January 12, 2024, to attend a meeting of the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) District 1 officers.
The IAC is a member organization whose purpose is to improve county government within Idaho. According to their website, they “provide services, research, uniformity, and coordination among member counties, in order for the elected officials to serve their constituents better.” IAC District 1 is comprised of elected county officials from Idaho’s five northern counties; Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone.
Bonner County elected officials attending the meeting were treasurer Clorrisa Koster, assessor Dennis Engelhardt, and commissioners Luke Omodt, Steven Bradshaw, and Asia Williams. Bradshaw’s attendance was temporary. According to court documents obtained by Kootenai Journal, Bradshaw is under court order not to come within 300 feet of Williams other than at commissioner meetings. After a brief exchange with Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris, Bradshaw left the meeting and did not return. Also in attendance were representatives from the offices of Governor Brad Little, US Representative Russ Fulcher, and US Senator Mike Crapo.
Several of the citizen attendees from Bonner County had letters in hand, which they were permitted to read aloud during the public comment portion of the meeting, before submitting them to the secretary to become part of the record. Several more letters were hand-delivered on behalf of other Bonner County citizens who were unable to attend in person. IAC District 1 Chair Benjamin Allen stopped short of allowing those letters to be read aloud, but did agree that they could be submitted into the record. The secretary, Jerry White, assured attendees that all the letters would be scanned and distributed to the members.
All of the letters requested that Bonner County Commissioner and Board Chair Luke Omodt be removed from his IAC District 1 position as legislative representative. In that role, he is tasked with liaising with state legislators on behalf of IAC.
Attendees with letters spoke of ongoing efforts to restrict or even eliminate public participation in official Bonner County Board of Commissioner meetings. Several citizens called out the nearly one hundred percent refusal by Omodt and Bradshaw to second any motion brought forth by Williams. Two letters pointed out that there are currently three formal complaints of alleged open meeting violations against Omodt coming before a special prosecutor. One recalled instances of “unwarranted personal attacks” by the chair. The general theme among all the attendees from Bonner County was that Omodt demonstrates extreme disdain and disrespect for the people of Bonner County, causes disfunction and discord among elected officials and county employees, and that he should not be entrusted with the responsibility of being the IAC District 1 legislative representative.
Omodt was not given an opportunity to respond and exited the meeting immediately upon adjournment.
Correction – This news article has been updated to reflect that Bonner County Assessor Dennis Engelhardt was also in attendance for the entirety of the IAC District 1 meeting.
