Grant Moore’s Final Request

A controversy surrounding the last days of Kootenai County Assessor Tom Moore reveals why some county offices should have appointed heads, not elected ones.

On Oct. 31, as he lay dying of cancer, Moore tried to complete one final act of service to Kootenai County - by switching political parties. A lifelong Democrat, Moore died as a Republican early Tuesday morning. He made the death-bed conversion in an effort to pass his mantle to Republican Mike McDowell, his competent, long-time chief deputy.

Democrats, of course, cried, “foul,” made some tasteless remarks and contacted their lawyers. If it holds up, Moore’s expedient conversion means the Republicans, not the Democrats, will provide the three Republican commissioners with a list of three candidates to fill the assessor’s unexpired term. You can bet McDowell’s name would be on that list.

Ironically, Moore was blind to partisanship.

He worked well with other elected officials from both parties and was just as likely to confront a Democratic commissioner over an assessment appeal as he was a Republican one. He fought on principle against the Idaho State Tax Commission and some of the community’s powerful business owners.

That’s why Moore was respected by friend and foe. That’s why his office should stay in the hands of a qualified person - not some party loyalist who might not know the difference between a tax notice and an assessment notice. That’s why partisan politics should be removed from this county office and some others.

Kootenai County has the ability to transform county government, although it won’t be able to do so in time to settle the Moore succession question. Under an untested law, Idaho counties can design their own government by a popular vote. They can expand the board of county commissioners. They can combine offices. They can choose to appoint rather than elect certain technical offices - like assessor, treasurer, clerk and coroner.

In Ada County on Nov. 5, voters narrowly rejected a ballot measure that would have changed their government. In Kootenai County, officials have studied possible changes for months.

Change is scary.

But it’s better than watching a good public servant try one last time to serve his constituents by jumping through political hoops. May he rest in peace.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria For the editorial board