Idaho GOP Platform Responses

✓+  Strongly Agree ✓  Somewhat Agree O  Somewhat Disagree X  Strongly Disagree

Survey and Interview Responses

“How long have you lived in Ada County?

I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and moved to Boise with my mother, father, and two younger sisters in 1995. My parents now reside in Nampa, and my sisters currently live in Hawaii. I live in Garden City.

How long have you been a Republican? Any prior party affiliation?

I was a Libertarian for two years, from 2000 to 2002. During that time, I realized my pro-liberty philosophy was more than welcome in the Republican Party and that I closely align with its pro-liberty wing. A longtime Republican statesmen invited me into the party and I’ve been there ever since.

Have you been involved with any political organizations? (IACI, Idaho Majority Club, IFF, etc.)

I have previously been involved with Idahoans for Liberty and the Republican Liberty Caucus.

Have you supported candidates from another party?

From 2000 to 2002, I supported various Libertarian candidates.

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for re-election because I believe Ada County is being run effectively by myself and my fellow commissioners. We are committed to keeping Ada County strong and continuing to provide a balance to policies coming out of Boise. During my first two terms, we implemented a historic property tax cut, supported senior centers and veterans’ programs, launched the Ada County Victim Services Center, expanded DMV locations, and eliminated the outdated vehicle emissions testing program. We also implemented a methane gas collection program at the Ada County landfill that will generate revenue for taxpayers. We are working to open The Park at Expo Idaho, which will provide significant benefits to our community and is being developed without local tax dollars. Additionally, we helped bring a professional soccer team to Expo Idaho through private investment.

Have you held elected office before?

I have served as a precinct committeeman in Ada County since 2002. I was elected to the Ada County Commission in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.

What makes you qualified for this role?

I have been politically active in Ada County since 2000, and I believe my experience over the last two terms, along with how well the county is functioning, makes me the most qualified for this role.

If elected, what 2-3 actions do you intend to pursue in your first year?

1. Complete the redevelopment of Expo Idaho, including the new park, soccer stadium, and potentially a new Boise Hawks stadium, all developed privately without Ada County tax dollars.
2. Come up with a countywide plan to deal with invasive Norway and roof rats that are currently spreading rapidly.
3. Deal with the ever-increasing population at the jail and our lack of space there.

How have you served your community (boards, nonprofits, etc.)?

As a commissioner, I serve on the Idaho Association of Counties and have extensive experience with the Ada County Republican Central Committee, including serving as County Chair from 2018 – 2020. I have also supported Child Fund International and Operation Christmas Child.

Do you consider yourself fiscally conservative?

Yes. I believe tax dollars should only be used when the private sector cannot address a particular societal need. I carefully review the county budget to ensure responsible and efficient use of taxpayer funds.

Do you consider yourself socially conservative?

Yes. I believe our country depends on strong cultural and moral foundations. As John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Give us your one-minute elevator speech for the campaign.

I was first elected to the Ada County Commission in 2020 after Democrats had won seats in 2018—a wake-up call that Republicans couldn’t be complacent. I helped regain control and, since 2022, we’ve had a fully Republican commission. We run the county like a large corporation, overseeing 13 departments and six elected officials. We’ve lowered regulations and taxes while managing growth responsibly. There have been few major problems. I want to keep this positive momentum going for Ada County.

What are your top three priorities, and what would you act on first?

My top priority is redeveloping Expo Idaho. We’ve completed a $40 million park (using American Rescue Plan funds and no local taxpayer money) and partnered with a pro soccer team for a new stadium. We’re also negotiating a new Hawks stadium (privately funded). Second, addressing the growing sewer rat infestation by working with the legislature on a bill to give counties tools to manage it. Third, getting through this tight budget cycle without raising taxes, including no personnel raises due to declining revenues.

How will you balance protecting open space and agricultural/rural lands against growth pressures in the county

We handle open space case-by-case. We denied a large solar farm on prime Kuna-Melba farmland after hearing from local farmers and strengthened zoning protections for agricultural areas. It was a tough call because I dislike restricting property rights, but neighbors deserve zoning stability when they buy land. We’re applying similar reasoning to other proposals, like a shooting range near residences. Balancing property rights with community expectations is challenging.

Do you believe growth is paying for growth in Ada County today?

At the county level, growth is largely paying for itself. We’ve been working for years to implement impact fees so new development helps fund law enforcement and infrastructure. We’ve passed it for unincorporated areas and are negotiating with cities to collect and remit fees. Several cities have signed on; we continue pushing the rest. It’s been a slow, bureaucratic process, but progress is being made.

The Western Idaho Fair is an enterprise fund that pays for itself through tickets, rentals, and sales—no tax dollars. The new park and soccer partnership will generate more revenue for maintenance and operations. We’re exploring additional monetization like food trucks. The park used one-time ARPA funds (federal COVID money with restrictions); it couldn’t legally fund new jail construction. For the jail, we’re using existing savings for phased expansions instead of another bond after voters narrowly rejected the last one.

How will you ensure development aligns with infrastructure capacity, especially water, sewer, and new roads?

Water is always a key factor in approvals. Commissioner Daley leads on this with his expertise. We recently hired a water engineer. Projects have been delayed or redesigned when water supply was inadequate. We’ve seen wells going dry in southwest Ada County due to growth and lined canals reducing aquifer recharge. We used ARPA funds to extend water lines as an option for affected residents. Concurrency with proven infrastructure is required.

With county budget pressure rising, where would you cut, where would you invest, and what is your threshold for raising taxes or fees?

We work closely with the Clerk (chief budget officer) to scrutinize every expense. Major savings come from managing staffing—the largest cost. We’ve denied new positions when departments have long-unfilled vacancies and consolidated vehicle fleets under one director for efficiency. We look for cuts annually and have turned down several position requests in recent cycles. Raising taxes is a last resort; our goal is to avoid it. We raise our budget only to keep up with the rising population.

What is your position on jail expansion, public-safety infrastructure, and the county’s responsibility for mental-health and addiction-related pressures on those systems?

Jail population growth is driven by state laws, sentencing, and prosecutorial decisions—we can’t directly control it. We communicate concerns to courts and prosecutors. We’ve expanded capacity using savings (kitchen remodel first) rather than new debt after the bond the Sheriff requested narrowly failed. A couple years ago we opened the Community Transition Center which helps low-risk inmates reintegrate with job support. Mental health is a major issue; the jail essentially runs its own psychiatric unit. We fund extra community mental health services at Terry Riley and Genesis Community Clinic to reduce pressure.

What should Ada County’s role be in homelessness, behavioral health, and treatment services, especially where county and city priorities diffe

We rejected the Housing First model used by Boise and pulled out of some joint projects. We prefer treatment-first approaches. We contributed to temporary hotel housing during COVID but exited when it wasn’t working well. We’re partnering with Noise on a transitional housing project using federal rental assistance. We appointed faith-based leaders like Reverend Roscoe (Boise Rescue Mission) and Tim Flaherty, and Lynn Bradescu to the joint Housing Authority to push back against purely government-driven solutions.

Where does the county most need better coordination with ACHD, cities, emergency services, and the sheriff, and how would you improve i

We have strong coordination with EMS (under our purview) and the Sheriff. The Treasure Valley Partnership helps with cities. ACHD relations are cooler since it went Democrat-majority and shifted toward bike lanes over roads. A pending bill could make ACHD elections countywide, potentially improving alignment. We’ve pushed back on excessive funding for Valley Regional Transit buses and light rail due to low ridership and poor cost-effectiveness. Collaboration could always improve but isn’t hostile.

What is your plan to control Norwegian and roof rats? I

As I mentioned earlier, one of my top priorities, is tackling the growing sewer rat infestation in Ada County. We’re working with the legislature on a bill to add rats to the state invasive species list — we’re now on the third version and unfortunately it did not get a House hearing in the final days of the session after it had sailed through the Senate. We will try again next session, because we’re well-positioned to act quickly because we already have a Weed, Pest, and Mosquito Department. The frequency of rat sightings is increasing, and we need to get ahead of this before it becomes a bigger problem. Absent Legislative action, I am working on a coalition with our cities to find another solution.

What would you change so rural and unincorporated residents are heard earlier and more meaningfully in county decisions?

We currently handle rural issues case-by-case with extensive public hearings, as we did with the proposed solar farm in the Kuna-Melba area where many farmers testified. We then strengthened zoning protections for agricultural land. I’d improve this by ensuring earlier notification and more opportunities for unincorporated residents to engage before decisions reach the final hearing stage. Protecting rural character and property rights while listening to neighbors is critical, and I’m committed to making sure their voices carry real weight earlier in the process. All of our hearing notifications are posted online for people to see.

What is your standard for transparency and constituent service, and how will you keep voters informed when they disagree with your decisions?

My standard is straightforward: be honest, explain decisions clearly, and give constituents the full context — even on tough or unpopular issues. I answer every question directly, as I did today. When voters disagree, I will continue holding public hearings, responding promptly to concerns, and communicating through updates and meetings on why we made a decision. I believe in transparency and accountability. If I get something wrong, I’ll own it and adjust. Voters deserve to know exactly how and why their county is being run.

What is your response to your opponent’s allegations?

My traffic tickets and misdemeanors mostly date to my late teens/early 20s after moving from Canada at 18. I was poor, fought tickets in court (sometimes successfully), and got caught in a cycle of suspensions that the legislature later repealed. Most charges were dismissed; I never had significant jail time. I am a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen by birth and legally eligible. On marijuana, I worked briefly on a 2004 ballot effort as a young man but haven’t advocated for it in 20 years and am now more skeptical after seeing other states’ results. The $100 Facebook ad payment was an honest mistake using a party card for personal consulting; I immediately reimbursed the party. It was blown out of proportion during an internal party dispute. I’ve attended nearly all meetings (occasionally a couple minutes late). These attacks dredge up old, often-dismissed matters or misrepresent facts.”