District 3 races feature rematches

Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, takes pride in his bulldog persona, saying it helps him get things done at the Idaho Legislature and may boost him to a leadership position if re-elected.

Yet his opponent in the May 23 Republican primary, Hayden City Councilwoman Jeri DeLange, claims Clark is a maverick who represents his own interest, not that of the voters in District 3, which covers Hayden, Rathdrum and north Kootenai County. DeLange defines herself as a listener who mulls over both sides of an issue and promises her votes would reflect constituent desires.

This is the second time DeLange has tried to unseat Clark, who was elected in 1996. The Silver Valley native, who works as an assistant for the Coeur d’Alene Basin Environmental Improvement Commission, ran against Clark in 2004 because, in her words, he was doing a “poor job.” To her, that hasn’t changed.

“He’s out of touch on several issues, issues that are important to the rest of the North Idaho delegation,” DeLange said.

For example, she said Clark stated at a candidate forum that property tax relief is the only issue.

She knows property tax relief is important to North Idaho residents. She supports Clark’s idea to remove school operation and maintenance costs from property taxes, replacing it with an increase in sales tax. Clark vows to get it passed next year.

During that same forum, DeLange questioned how Clark has been in the Legislature for so long without finding a solution.

Clark said he has been working on the issue since he was first elected and even co-sponsored a bill in 1997 to remove school operation costs from the property tax rolls. He said it takes time for other lawmakers, especially those from areas in southern Idaho that aren’t growing like Kootenai County, to understand the need.

Clark, who is a member of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, said the Legislature made big gains this year boosting the homeowner’s exemption to $75,000 and expanding the “circuit breaker” tax break for low-income elderly and disabled.

DeLange criticized Clark for initially voting against an aquifer protection bill introduced by Post Falls lawmakers, then voting in favor after constituents complained.

Clark countered that he actually improved the bill, requesting an amendment that allows residents to vote on whether they want an aquifer protection fee added to their property tax bill. Once that vote requirement was added, Clark voted for the measure.

DeLange noted that he also opposed a proposal that would have given sporting goods giant Cabela’s a tax incentive for building a store in Post Falls. The program would have reimbursed the company for infrastructure costs through returned sales taxes.

Clark said the initial proposal was special-interest legislation because it would have benefited only Cabela’s. He voted to print the bill after it was expanded to include all companies.

DeLange said lawmakers should work to attract industry, which will help the area by expanding the tax base.

Another difference between the candidates is that DeLange supports the local option sales tax while Clark opposes the concept that Kootenai County used to pay off the last jail expansion. DeLange said 75 percent of Kootenai County voters support using a local option sales tax to pay for big-ticket projects, citing a 2004 advisory vote.

Clark instead thinks that local governments should live within their current budgets.

Clark plans to run for assistant majority leader, the third-highest leadership rank in the Idaho House. He said it’s a key position for North Idaho.

DeLange doesn’t think Clark has a shot. Instead, she said if elected she will try to position herself to get on key committees and work her way into leadership.

DeLange admits she is not a polished public speaker and often gets her words tangled, yet she said her listening skills and local government background overshadow that deficit.

Clark thinks his strengths stand out in his accomplishments and that he’s often picked by Republican leadership to carry bills on the floor because he’s a self-described eloquent debater. For example, House Speaker Bruce Newcomb asked Clark to lead the debate on his eminent domain bill that sets conditions that must be met for a government agency to condemn property.

“If they want something done they go to me,” said the retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, who teaches public policy as an adjunct instructor at the college level. He lists his accomplishments as creating the budget stabilization fund, which is a savings account for bad economic times, and creating the millennium fund, comprised of proceeds from the state’s share of a nationwide tobacco settlement. This session, Clark sponsored a bill that adds murder linked with sex abuse as a qualification for the death penalty.