Smithson’s Gets Nod For Towing, Ending Rotation

Kootenai County commissioners awarded the emergency towing contract Tuesday to Smithson’s Towing.

The company will be called to tow cars when drivers do not have a preference.

Drivers who ask to have their vehicles towed by particular companies will not be affected.

The contract is expected to begin April 15.

Previously, sheriff’s deputies relied on 14 companies in a rotation system to handle the county’s towing needs.

Deputies said the service often was slow and dispatchers grew tired of handling complaints from towing companies about preferential treatment.

Local towing companies had been opposed to awarding the contract to a single company.

They said the county’s towing needs are too much for one company to handle.

Any problems with the rotation system were caused by one or two companies, they said.

Abolishing the rotation unfairly penalized responsible companies, they said.