Copyright Coeur d'Alene Press
Shoshone County voters said no to two levies Tuesday, while approving another. Perhaps the most contentious measure on the ballot was Shoshone County’s $2 million Law Enforcement Temporary Levy, which failed with 1,731 votes, 56%, against and 1,364 in favor. The levy was a last-ditch effort by the sheriff’s office to address budget shortfalls but faced strong community opposition. Scrutiny intensified after former Sheriff Holly Lindsey resigned 13 days before the election after she was involved in a hit-and-run incident in Osburn. Shoshone County Prosecutor Ben Allen, the county’s head of law enforcement, was candid about the levy’s failure and its potential impact. “It is difficult to fully capture what effects this levy will have on our community, but we know for certain that it will result in a general loss of services,” Allen said. “Which services those are will likely depend on where the new administration decides to allocate the resources which are left." Some potential consequences could include reduced patrols, an inability to respond to calls for service for non-felony offenses, or additional requests for outside agency support, he said. "As a result, there is a strong likelihood that our city agencies will see an increase in their calls for service and their caseload numbers, so taxpayers within our cities should brace themselves for those effects," Allen said. Allen said his office may be affected. “With anticipated reductions in staffing, investigative thoroughness is likely to degrade, leading to an increase in contested litigation,” Allen said Despite the outcome, Allen said he respected the voters’ decision. “While I recognize our community was largely split on this levy, voters who made it to the polls offered insight into their prioritization, and we as elected leaders must respect that decision and do the best we can with what we are given,” Allen said. “With that said, we must also be mindful that an agency cannot exceed the capacity of its resources, meaning our expectations for services and investigative outcomes will likely require some adjustment moving forward." The Kellogg School District’s $7 million supplemental levy failed, with 978 votes against and 841 in favor. The proposed levy would have replaced the current one and increased taxpayer contributions, anticipating up to 6% in state funding holdbacks. It represented roughly 30% of the district’s annual budget, and administrators now face cutting $3.5 million. On Wednesday, the district released a statement: “We remain committed to providing a safe, supportive, and high-quality learning environment for all students,” the statement read. “In the coming weeks, the Board of Trustees and district leadership will review the election results and determine next steps. We will continue to communicate openly with our staff, families, and patrons as we move forward together." The Wallace School District’s $3.6 million supplemental levy passed with 600 votes in favor, and 554 against. “I would like to thank everyone for their continued support of the supplemental levy,” WSD Superintendent Todd Howard said. “Without their support, education in the WSD would look significantly different. Running a successful levy campaign is a collective effort with our district/school staff, school board trustees, PTO, parents, and patrons.” Kellogg voters approved increasing the city’s franchise fee from 1% to 3%, with 232 votes in favor and 191 opposed.
