Huckleberries Online

CdA Trustees Don’t Declare Vacancy

Posted by DFO

Feb. 11, 2012 12:10 a.m. • 6 comments

Item: Coeur d'Alene trustees decline to declar a vacancy/Maureen Dolan, Press

More Info: After ratifying the district's 2011-12 budget, passed in July with Quinn making one of the majority affirmative votes, the trustees did not formally declare a vacancy on the board before adjourning. “I would say that at this time, it certainly is our option to declare a vacancy if we'd like to do so, and frankly, the board has the option at this point to proceed through with an appointment. There may be wisdom in that,” Hamilton said. “I would put forward that during the last election, there was a very close election. That's a possible solution, but I'm not sure that warrants discussion tonight or if prudence would dictate that we seek the advice of legal counsel on how to proceed.”

Also: Huckleberries hears the following witnessed the trustee meeting: Duncan Koler and his wife, Hamilton's attorney, Mary Jo Phinney, Jim Purtee, and Christa Hazel. At one point, Hamilton wondered aloud whether Purtee might be a good choice because he narrowly lost a trustee election 3 years ago.

Question: Should the board appoint Jim Purtee, who lost a close trustee election race three years ago? Or accept applications from everyone interested in the vacancy, including Wanda Quinn?

Six comments on this post so far. Add yours!

mrd on February 11 at 10:32 a.m.
No, Purtee should not automatically get that seat. He lost the election by a majority vote so it seems the voters did not appreciate his ideas. To put him in would go against the majority of voters wishes. Accept applications from the community.
RationalUniverse on February 11 at 10:51 a.m.
The Board needs to choose the best candidate. That means going through the process of declaring a vacancy, opening the position to qualified, interested candidates, interviewing the candidates, and choosing the most qualified.

Assuming that election results, from 3 years ago still represent the people, is erroneous.

On another note - Could you please stop using Tom Hamilton’s picture to represent the CDA school board? Or at least run some kind of disclaimer.
hhuseland on February 11 at 2:09 p.m.
At this point it probably would be best if it were opened up.
Bent on February 11 at 3:02 p.m.
I say appoint Christa Hazel… she is very level headed and i think she would be an excellent addition to the board…
eagleeye on February 11 at 4:57 p.m.
I agree, Bent. Christa would be great !
Paul Matthews on February 11 at 8:58 p.m.
Jim Purtee would be an excellent trustee. Also, coming off of an appointment that had not only the appearance of impropriety, but was (according to the judge) actually improper, Purtee’s appointment would have the added benefit of reassuring the citizens of the district that “business as usual” is no longer the order of the day. It would be a completely “proper” appointment. Then again, I think the Trustees are wise to think the situation over carefully. They are potentially setting a precedent.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.