Piazza says he’ll challenge Brodie in primary

Rich Piazza still isn’t happy with the management of Kootenai County, so the retired county employee announced Friday he will challenge Commissioner Katie Brodie in the May Republican primary.

This is the third time Piazza, 58, has run for the county commission. In 2004, he challenged Commission Chairman Dick Panabaker along with Brodie and Mike Piper. Brodie beat out Panabaker and Piazza came in third. Piazza also ran in 2000.

In his view, not much has changed in the past two years with Brodie in office. He said the commission needs fresh ideas with no ties to special interests.

“I have more connection with the common citizen than she does,” Piazza said about Brodie.

He’s the first county candidate to officially kick off a campaign for the May 23 primary. Commission Chairman Gus Johnson also is up for re-election, as are the county clerk, assessor and treasurer.

Brodie didn’t return phone calls Friday seeking comment.

As a former county land appraiser, Piazza said he has seen firsthand how the commission “mismanaged” money over the years. His recent heartburn is with the commission hiring a public relations firm for $75 an hour to get out “positive” news, and that the commission unanimously voted to give itself a $13,486 annual salary increase per commissioner. The job now pays $67,000 per year.

To justify the raises, the commission appointed a citizens committee to review pay of elected officials. The commission voted in August to accept the committee’s recommendation. Piazza said a raise was probably warranted but that it should have been done in smaller increments over several years.

“It just sits badly with the citizens,” Piazza said.

He also disagrees with the commission tapping $847,700 in unused property tax authority in the fiscal year 2005 budget to help pay for more than $1 million in salary and benefit adjustments for county employees. The salary adjustments were recommended by a California-based consultant.

It was the first time in years the county collected forgone taxes. In the past, commissioners opted to leave more cash in property owners’ pockets.

The commission at the time said it was the only way to get the money needed to solve ongoing wage woes.

Piazza opposes the use of forgone taxes and thinks the Legislature should eliminate local governments’ ability to tap them. He also called the salary study a farce, adding there was no reason for a $60,000 study that told commissioners what they already knew.

The Republican also is unhappy with how the commission handled the fuel leak at the BNSF refueling depot. He asked why the county didn’t force the railroad to put additional safety mechanisms in place before the depot opened, not after fuel leaked.

“They just pooh-poohed it off on the contractors,” Piazza said.