Hospital District Election Has 4 Candidates, 3 Slots 3 Incumbents Seek To Retain Board Posts For Another 6 Years
Four candidates are vying for three open positions on the Kootenai Hospital District board in the district’s Feb. 3 election.
Three of the candidates - Betty McLain, Jim Curtis and Paul Anderson - are incumbents. John Fox, who retired from the hospital’s engineering department last year, also filed for candidacy.
McLain, the board’s vice chairman, and Curtis, a Coeur d’Alene surgeon, have served on the board since 1990. Anderson, the regional manager for Washington Water Power, was appointed to the board in 1997 to fill the vacancy left by former board member Tim Olsen. Board members serve a six-year term and earn $150 per quarter. Elections are held every two years.
The candidates all run at-large, so the three candidates with the most votes will be elected into office. Write-in candidates are accepted on the ballot on election day.
The hospital district has the same boundaries as Kootenai County. The district board governs the operations of Kootenai Medical Center, a public district hospital. While the district has the power to levy taxes, it has not done so for the past two years. All expenses have been covered by other revenue.
Registered voters of Kootenai County can vote in the election, but must vote in their assigned precincts.
Absentee ballot applications are available at the KMC administration office, the KMC Health Park in Post Falls, Spirit Lake City Hall, Miller’s Food City in Spirit Lake, Athol City Hall, Athol Library, Worley Post Office, Rathdrum City Hall, Rathdrum Senior Center and the Harrison City Hall.
Applications must be returned to the KMC administration office, 2003 Lincoln Way, no later than 5 p.m., Feb. 2.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at Lakes Middle School, KMC, Hayden City Hall, KMC Health Park in Post Falls, Harrison ambulance garage, Athol Community Center, Worley Grange #348, Spirit Lake Civic Center and the Rathdrum Senior Center.
, DataTimes