Mineral County to decide on Non-partisan elections

After a public discussion the Mineral County Commissioner’s voted 2-0-1 in favor of creating an ordinance that will put non-partisan elections to a vote on the November ballot. 

Duane Simons and Clark Conrow voted in favor of creating the county ordinance while Roman Zylawy declined to vote. 

“It just hasn’t digested yet,” Commissioner Zylawy said of the debate. 

If the ordinance passes, elected officials of Mineral County will be labeled on the ballot as simply names - without the traditional party affiliation attached. 

While the public discussion was set to center around whether or not county commissioners would go through steps to put non-partisan elections on the ballot rather than going through a initiative process that would require signatures from 15 percent of registered voters, at the heart of the discussion was whether or not having non-partisan elections was worthwhile. 

“What we brought you is just a petition that shows there is interest in putting this on the ballot,” Judy Stang, a realtor based in St. Regis, said. “We just feel that elected officials of Mineral County should be non-partisan, that their decision should be impartial. 

They have nothing to do with party lines, most of them have to follow state statute and there should be nothing party line about their decisions.”

Stang mentioned Sanders and Lincoln as nearby counties that had already chosen non-partisan elections. Commissioners in Sanders County chose to place non-partisan elections on the ballot by ordinance. 

“It was a lot easier and cleaner, they had a lot of people come in and show interest and they figured they would just pass an ordinance because no matter what happens it goes to the vote of the people,” Stang said. 

After Stang made arguments in favor of non-partisan elections as well as creating an ordinance citizens began to chime in on their concerns and feelings. 

“I don’t like it, it’s just like the judges,” Bob Carol, a Mineral County resident said. 

“We just get a picture, a name and we don’t know nothing about the guy. If you guys get this through it’s going to be the same thing.” 

A member of the audience asked what the problem is with the current way voting takes place in the county – a question that was fielded by Commissioner Simons. 

“In talking with the other counties that have done it, the ones that I have talked with have had problems feeling that maybe the party was electing someone they thought was the most electable and not the person who was most qualified,” Commissioner Simons said. 

Jeff Wilson, an employee of the Forest Service for 30 years and new resident of Superior, raised his concerns that he was unable to participate in local government because of his federally appointed position. 

“I thought I had a lot to offer, I have a background in management and I have ideas,” Wilson said. 

“I was not able to offer that because of the Hatch Act, which does not allow federal employees to run for partisan politics.” 

Wilson added that he was “fortunate enough” to live in two communities where the local elections were non-partisan. 

As a result, he was able to run for school board and twice for the city council. 

“I am quite proud of what I was able to give to those communities,” Wilson said. 

Mineral County resident Bob Mahon attempted to bring the discussion back to the matter of initiative versus ordinance by stating that once the matter is on the ballot then people can debate and argue for their side. 

 The conversation continued on whether or not candidates on the ballot should be listed next to their party for some time until Commissioner Simons called the forum to a close to allow for debate between the three members. 

With the ordinance process beginning the debate will surely continue leading up to the November elections, where citizens of Mineral County are able to vote and a decision will be made on future elections of county officials.