CdA Trustees Don’t Declare Vacancy

Item: Coeur d’Alene trustees decline to declar a vacancy /Maureen Dolan, Press

More Info: After ratifying the district’s 2011-12 budget, passed in July with Quinn making one of the majority affirmative votes, the trustees did not formally declare a vacancy on the board before adjourning. “I would say that at this time, it certainly is our option to declare a vacancy if we’d like to do so, and frankly, the board has the option at this point to proceed through with an appointment. There may be wisdom in that,” Hamilton said. “I would put forward that during the last election, there was a very close election. That’s a possible solution, but I’m not sure that warrants discussion tonight or if prudence would dictate that we seek the advice of legal counsel on how to proceed.”

Also: Huckleberries hears the following witnessed the trustee meeting: Duncan Koler and his wife, Hamilton’s attorney, Mary Jo Phinney, Jim Purtee, and Christa Hazel. At one point, Hamilton wondered aloud whether Purtee might be a good choice because he narrowly lost a trustee election 3 years ago.

Question: Should the board appoint Jim Purtee, who lost a close trustee election race three years ago? Or accept applications from everyone interested in the vacancy, including Wanda Quinn?