Four newcomers are vying to be the next Lemhi County Sheriff

SALMON — Four caller candidates are vying to beryllium nan adjacent Lemhi County Sheriff, including 2 deputies, a metropolis scheme examiner, and a retired U.S. Marine.

Running this predetermination play is John Bennett, Chris Horton, Leah Madsen and Albert Pardo. The title is for a four-year term.

Lemhi County Steve Penner is not moving for reelection.

EastIdahoNews.com asked nan candidates to reply nan aforesaid 8 questions. Their responses, listed below, were required to beryllium 250 words aliases less. EastIdahoNews.com is publishing nan answers successful their entirety, and without immoderate grammatical aliases style editing.

Leah Madsen did not supply answers to nan questionnaire. If we perceive back, we will adhd them.

The superior predetermination is May 21.

Tell america astir yourself — see accusation astir your family, career, education, unpaid activity and immoderate anterior acquisition successful nationalist office.

Bennett: My sanction is John Bennett. I person been joined for 34 years to my woman Stefani. Together we person an astonishing family including our boy Johnny, his woman Amanda, and their boy Brody; our boy Chase and his woman Maddie; and our girl Laci. I americium a lifelong resident of Lemhi County. I graduated from Salmon High School and later attended Idaho State University for a time. I returned to Salmon and worked for nan US Forest Service successful nan Cobalt District for 4 seasons followed by 14 years of logging. I started my rule enforcement profession successful 2005 pinch nan Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office. I’ve had nan grant of being a Patrol Deputy Sheriff for 18 years and counting. Since nan commencement of my career, I person go a Tri-County Investigator representing Lemhi County, a certified Marine Law Enforcement Officer, a Boat Education Safety Trainer, and a Narcotic Investigator/Detective for Lemhi County, among different qualifications. In 2016 I became Lemhi County’s Patrol Sergeant, wherever I began to supervise 6 of our different deputies and behaviour nan schedule for nan Sheriff’s office. In summation to my decades of rule enforcement experience, I person actively volunteered for nan Lemhi County Search and Rescue for 38 years, nan Lemhi Fire Department for 8 years, and various younker groups arsenic my children grew up.

Horton: I person been pinch my astonishing woman for 17 years and we person 2 phenomenal boys. I americium a combat veteran, erstwhile rule enforcement officer, and unpaid younker wrestling and shot coach. While serving successful nan military, I graduated from immoderate of nan finest activity schools nan subject has to offer. I person earned an precocious rule enforcement certificate and a rule enforcement coach certificate issued by nan State of Idaho.

Pardo: I americium a lifelong Idaho resident. My belief belief is Christian. I lived astir of my life successful nan Treasure Valley successful nan Nampa/Caldwell area. I graduated successful 1995 from Nampa High School and near for nan United States Marine Corps that very fall. My woman and I person been joined for 27 years and person raised 3 children. During my 25-year profession successful nan Marine Corps I had nan pleasance of serving successful some nan progressive and reserve forces. While pinch nan reserves, present successful Boise, I spent 6 years employed pinch nan Canyon County Sheriff’s Office arsenic a sworn Deputy earlier returning to progressive duty. Currently, I clasp an subordinate grade from Brandman University and americium enrolled pinch Liberty University finishing my bachelor’s grade successful criminal justness management. Since nan clip my children became aged capable to bask and play sports, I person volunteered connected galore occasions arsenic a coach for football, softball, basketball, and shot successful locations specified arsenic Okinawa Japan, Washington State, California and present successful Idaho. This will beryllium my first clip moving for immoderate nationalist office.

Why are you seeking governmental office? Briefly explicate your governmental platform.

Bennett:

• I emotion what I’ve gotten to do and presently do successful my career, and I want to proceed serving nan region of Lemhi.
• I want nan organization to beryllium safe.
• I strive to person transparency passim our department. I want to institute an open-door argumentation wherever anyone successful nan organization tin pass pinch maine to stock their ideas and concerns, whether successful a group aliases one-on-one setting.
• I will proceed to conflict supplier maltreatment and home unit and uphold nan rule to nan highest standard.

Horton: My reasons for seeking agency are many. At nan core, I judge nan group merit a selfless leader who represents each nan people. The group merit a leader that is consenting to listen, find solutions to existent issues done organization involvement, and take sides nan constitution. I swore an oath to uphold nan constitution and I will proceed to do that.

Pardo: I made nan determination to tally for Lemhi County Sheriff connected 2 bases. One, it was thing that I felt called to do. Much for illustration erstwhile group consciousness called to do missionary work, I felt that this was my calling. After spending clip pinch Canyon County and having spent complete half my life training pinch immoderate of nan champion successful nan world to protect and take sides our Constitution, I felt it was now clip to do it again but connected a much friendly scale, alternatively than overseas. Two, aft moving to Salmon successful 2021, I spent clip moving locally, observing, and speaking pinch locals that person lived present their full lives and learning astir their concerns and gripes. After listening and seeing for myself wherever immoderate improvements were needed, I afloat committed to entering nan title for sheriff.

My level is very simple. I want and plan, if fixed nan opportunity, to activity connected deepening nan narration betwixt nan organization and nan Sheriff’s Office. To tally a transparent agency truthful nan organization tin spot that each serviceman and administrative unit is moving diligently for them. And yet guarantee that location is clear and concise connection betwixt nan Sheriff’s Office and nan community. Communication is imperative to make judge that this narration useful to its afloat potential.

What areas successful your region request contiguous improvement? What actions will you return to reside those needs?

Bennett:

• The Lemhi County rule enforcement officers merit to person much specialized training. This would use nan organization arsenic a whole.
• The Judicial System and Prosecution could usage improvement.
• Improvement successful felony supervision (Parolee status).
• Fostering much spot and connection betwixt rule enforcement and residents.
• More activities for nan younker successful Lemhi County to support them engaged and safe.

Horton: As per nan azygous crime report, we are seeing a important emergence successful crime. The organization needs to beryllium involved. I powerfully judge successful organization policing and I will institute a scheme that involves nan communities passim our county. I will guarantee nan work provided by deputies is sincere and compassionate and nan agency of nan Sheriff is transparent to nan public.

Pardo: As I stated before, galore of nan Counties citizens person spoken to maine astir their concerns. One of these concerns, that has been brought to my attraction and which I personally person witnessed here, is nan uptick of supplier beingness successful nan County. This is an area that is astir disturbing to me. I person personally known friends and extended family that person been affected by narcotics and I personally consciousness location is nary spot for them. Here is wherever nan Police Department and nan Sheriff’s Office must activity together to clasp nan Prosecuting Attorney’s Office accountable and make an illustration of nan offenders to guarantee that different offenders get nan hint that narcotics are not tolerated successful Lemhi County.

That said, different area of interest is pinch nan judicial strategy and nan outcomes successful tribunal for those that person surgery nan law. I consciousness that nan Sheriff’s Office on pinch nan City Police Department must activity unified to guarantee that nan activity their officers do successful study penning and investigations are not wasted to plea agreements aliases discourtesy reductions. The individual officer’s activity is important and a ample portion of what they do daily. If they consciousness that their difficult activity is successful vain past why would they want to support doing nan job? If this unification does not nutrient nan expected results, past nan adjacent measurement would beryllium to spell up nan concatenation and leverage nan thief of nan Attorney General’s Office.

What are nan top semipermanent challenges facing group successful your county? What is your scheme to meet those challenges?

Bennett:

• Our organization and authorities are increasing successful organization each day. While maturation is great, it increases nan calls of work for nan Sheriff’s Office. Our rule enforcement agencies request to beryllium capable to efficaciously support up pinch nan request created by nan influx of growth.
• Create effective rule enforcement strategies tailored to nan circumstantial needs of each area.

Horton: As antecedently mentioned, nan emergence successful crime presents a important issue. Instead of reacting to this issue, we request to beryllium proactive and employment proactive measures. Developing organization policing programs, building relationships pinch different governmental offices, and implementing organization crime prevention programs will greatly assistance successful combatting rising crime rates.

Pardo: Counties look galore challenges connected a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. I consciousness that nan top semipermanent situation for Lemhi County is Economic growth. Changes of this quality are inevitable arsenic group get tired of metropolis surviving and activity retired areas specified arsenic ours, agrarian state living, to move to. However, Economic maturation tin beryllium some bully and bad for an area. Generally, pinch maturation immoderate of nan biggest changes that hap are organization increase, caller businesses, emergence successful crime, and a emergence successful drugs. When an area originates to grow, everything needs to set to accommodate nan growth. This includes nan measurement we deliberation astir things. What I americium saying is, immoderate worked for nan organization 20, 10, 5 years agone will not activity for nan future. The County must do guardant reasoning to meet nan needs of nan organization arsenic it moves forward. This besides includes Law Enforcement.

My scheme to meet challenges specified arsenic these is to guarantee that moving guardant nan Sheriff’s Department has nan equipment, personnel, and training to look maturation successful nan area. However, yet to do this nan section cannot proceed to activity nan aforesaid measurement it has been for nan past decade. It must germinate and activity extracurricular nan container that is agrarian Lemhi County.

How will you champion correspond nan views of your constituents – moreover those pinch differing governmental views? How will you pass straight pinch constituents?

Bennett:

• I will ever support an unfastened mind regarding their concerns.
• Engage successful progressive listening, and ever beryllium adjacent and impartial.
• Keep an unfastened doorway and ever stay approachable.
• Make a abstraction for one-on-one clip pinch rule enforcement officers, residents, and different members of nan community.

Horton: ur state has 1 constitution. We are each Americans and we are each afforded nan protections nether nan constitution. This applies to each governmental parties and views. I will supply adjacent and unbiased rule enforcement services to each of our county. I will person an unfastened doorway argumentation and I will guarantee deputies person unfastened lines of connection pinch each citizens.

Pardo: I judge that nan champion measurement to correspond immoderate constituent nary matter what their affiliation, is to perceive to them. I mean, really perceive them and what they person to say. Although location are different views connected matters, group from opposing sides tin person ideas that, erstwhile put to work, tin thief resoluteness issues. But it each comes backmost to listening to everyone and what they person to say. The 1 caveat to this is that not everyone’s rumor tin beryllium resolved, including those from one’s ain party.

The champion shape of communication, successful my opinion, is look to face. In today’s world we, arsenic a society, person go acold excessively comfortable pinch connection done galore different forms of media, (i.e. compartment phones, computers, societal media, etc.), alternatively than gathering up and speaking to 1 another. Although location are times that not everyone tin show up for a meeting, nan mostly tin and that is nan champion measurement to get accusation out. Once nan gathering has been held past 1 tin usage nan different intends arsenic a secondary shape of connection to push nan accusation retired to those who did not attend.

What parts of nan region fund could usage much funding? Where are places successful nan fund that cuts could beryllium made?

Bennett:

• As nan fund is already low, location are unluckily not a batch of places to trim costs.
• Employee wages could usage much backing to correspond ever-growing inflation.
• Specialized training for each unit deserves much funding.
• It would beryllium adjuvant to reappraisal and amended worker benefits to summation nan longevity and retainment of employees.
• Up-to-date disbursal reports related to fleet and instrumentality costs.

Horton: Reallocation of backing towards organization projects should beryllium a priority. I will request to walk clip evaluating our existent allocations and statement items to spot wherever cuts tin beryllium made. My extremity is to make nan cuts and increases wherever it makes astir sense.

Pardo: After looking complete nan past fund study from nan March 11th, 2024, Commissioners meeting, I would opportunity that location are 2 areas that I judge could usage much funding. The first area is Lemhi County Fire District. As a agrarian occurrence district, it is captious to person nan due instrumentality available, successful bully moving order, truthful nan galore volunteers utilizing them tin do nan champion occupation imaginable for nan citizens of Lemhi County. Recently, I said to a occurrence charismatic speaking astir really nan power successful 1 of their vehicles was inoperative. This is unacceptable. If it weren’t for their handheld radios, wherever would they beryllium successful responsive communication? It is very important to person these volunteers equipped pinch only nan champion and astir updated equipment. The 2nd area that could usage much backing is nan Drug Court. It is nary astonishment that narcotics proceed to beryllium an rumor passim nan Nation and Lemhi County is nary exception. The 1 caveat I would opportunity is that pinch nan summation successful backing nan County would person to activity amended curen regimens for those that return portion successful Drug Court and guarantee that these regimens are being completed fully.

Once again surviving successful a mini agrarian organization it is difficult to say, “oh let’s trim immoderate costs from present aliases there”. Every statement point connected a fund is important for 1 logic aliases another. I judge that location is not 1 area that needs fund cuts currently.

What is nan domiciled of section media successful your community? How tin region officials activity to person a amended narration pinch nan media?

Bennett:

• Lemhi County is simply a much agrarian region pinch less media outlets, but nan media is still ever-present. Our residents regularly publication section newspapers and different newspapers that service East Idaho.
• In today’s time and age, nan net and societal media are astir apt nan astir celebrated ways our organization interacts pinch nan media. Online groups connected platforms for illustration Facebook and Instagram person allowed nan organization to link pinch each different successful existent time, stock news and thoughts, and mostly study astir nan goings-on of nan community.
• County officials tin ever prosecute successful much connection and education.
• Articles successful nan news and online should beryllium precise and accurate, while besides considering nan assemblage truthful they tin easy understand it.
• County officials tin pass much connected societal media and nan online scenery to scope a larger audience.
• It would beryllium very useful to adhd a nationalist accusation serviceman aliases thing of that quality wrong nan agency to assistance pinch each nan supra points.

Horton: I judge this a mobility amended suited for our section media; However, I would for illustration to deliberation nan domiciled would beryllium to supply timely and meticulous accusation to nan public. Transparency, connected our part, is cardinal successful supporting this idea.

Pardo: Our section media consists of 1 newspaper and a power station. The newspaper goes retired erstwhile a week, each Thursday. Over half of nan news reported successful nan insubstantial is section successful nature, arsenic it should be, and nan remainder consists of different State and National news. The power position carries some AM and FM frequencies and plays a assortment of euphony on pinch section and National news. Although some sources of media do study news from extracurricular nan section area, it is very attuned to what is happening locally.

I judge that nan media tin beryllium a beardown instrumentality if utilized properly. The media is important successful passing connection to nan section populous. That said, nan champion measurement for region officials to activity amended pinch nan media is to person a clip group speech to beryllium down pinch them and talk existent aliases upcoming issues pertaining to nan section community. Keep nan media informed and successful move they will support nan organization informed.

Voter turnout and information continues to beryllium debased successful Idaho. What efforts tin beryllium made to stimulate greater elector engagement successful elections and government?

Bennett:

• Educating nan nationalist pinch advertizing (newspapers, news outlets, societal media, radio)
• Targeted acquisition campaigns per assemblage conception to make judge each voting conception is reached successful a measurement that they will spot and that makes consciousness to them.
• Educate students and those that are newer to voting connected nan value of voting and letting their voices beryllium known.
• Gather feedback from existent voters connected what they deliberation would thief elector involvement.

Horton: Let’s get group connected nan ballots that are consenting to supply selfless service, who are sincere successful their efforts, and those that person a sincere attraction for nan greater bully of nan people. We person to springiness them thing worthy voting for!

Pardo: The biggest push for voting participation, that I remember, was successful 1990, Rock nan Vote. Although it was a wide non-profit organization, they commanded nan airwaves and power networks. They sewage nan connection retired targeting young voters but besides those who had not voted for immoderate time. They utilized a unsocial method of apical stars and euphony to get group to registry to ballot and to get to nan poles. They played to their spot of euphony and stardom to get nan connection out.

Today I judge that astir citizens person been burned by nan voting process and fig that it doesn’t matter anymore because nan powers that beryllium will find a measurement to still get what they want. Whether this is existent aliases not, if we arsenic a populous do not try, we will surely lose. Our sound is nan past statement of defense, nonviolent, that we have. If you do not work together pinch nan measurement things are currently, past speak up and don’t beryllium acrophobic to telephone a spade a spade. So, to afloat reply nan question, I judge to get much information successful voting, nan parties; republican, democratic, libertarian, etc… request to get look to look pinch nan voters. Hold meetings successful outlying areas, not conscionable nan bigger cities. Remind nan group that they person a sound and location are candidates who are not acrophobic to return connected nan establishment.