My opponent, Chris Fillios, has been in office for five years. He claims one of his accomplishments is that he "launched production of a white paper" on growth (click here and go to bottom of page). It's laughable.
The truth is all he did was vote with the other two commissioners to spend taxpayer money for somebody else to write it. But he wants you to believe it's an "accomplishment."
Another "accomplishment" he wants you to believe is "raising law enforcement wages to a more competitive level" (click here). Outside of a raise given only to Patrol Deputies about three years ago, nothing has been done. Ask any 911 dispatch operator or jail deputy if my opponent raised their wages to a more competitive level? He hasn't.
He Brags about Using Your Tax Dollars to Bring Even More People Here
And then there's this little gem: He's using your tax dollars to subsidize an outside firm that focuses on bringing even more people here (see here and below).
First, it's not an accomplishment to spend taxpayer money on a non government agency to make this place grow even faster. Second, bragging about how we need to "attract qualified labor" is basically saying he doesn't give a rat's butt about the people who already live here and could use well-paying jobs.
Instead, this is a de-facto way to financially displace longtime Idaho residents. If we're going to attract employers, then I say attract those who can use the existing workforce. Let's get these people well-paying jobs so they can afford to stay and live here.
Is It Any Wonder Why Support for My Opponent has Collapsed?
Prominent members of our community, like Ron Nilson (President of Ground Force and a co-founder of K-TEC Educational Campus in Rathdrum) and Marge Chadderdon (a former Idaho State Rep), support me because they know my opponent is failing you. Many prominent members used to support my opponent. Now they support me.
Let's take a look at the REAL results of my opponent's "accomplishments," which include:
30% employee vacancy rate at our 911 Call Center
25% jail deputy vacancy rate at our jail
No vision for the future growth of this county except attracting a different labor force (how unrecognizable will this area look like when he's done?)
No meaningful communication with legislators regarding growth needs and managing it
Lack of honesty with constituents.
This is what’s happened in our county under his watch.
Will He Have You Listening to Hold Music When You Call 911?
I’ve sat down at the 911 call center and spoken to the operators. They are incredibly short-staffed and there's no relief in sight. It is not acceptable for any county citizen to get hold music during a 911 Emergency, but that could happen under the "leadership" of my opponent.
I’ve spoken with jail deputies at the jail and seen their staffing issues in real time. We're now paying to house inmates at another jail ($90/day/inmate plus health care), and we lost a $389k contract with the U.S. Marshal's service because of these staffing shortages. (See here.) Next time you see a Sheriff's Deputy, ask him or her what they really think of my opponent's efforts to fix their problems.
His Irresponsible Growth May Eventually Tax You Out of Your Home
With respect to growth, there isn’t a person in the county who’s told me they love how our leadership is addressing the rapid growth and its negative consequences. My opponent brags about eventually incorporating impact fees, but that obvious fee only addresses a small part of the overall issue.
I’ve spoken to some of our current legislators and none of them has said my opponent has communicated any meaningful needs to more effectively manage growth. If you're not willing to communicate with state legislators on county leadership's needs, then do you really care about what people here want?
This is an important issue. I think it's essential that we protect existing residents from being taxed out of their homes. It's going to take more than just a single impact fee from my opponent to do this. It's going to require real leadership to address this comprehensive problem.
He's Misleading You, the Voter
However, the most important feedback has been from you. Many people feel misled by him, especially when they see the video of him thanking Democrats for changing party affiliation to help him win the 2020 Republican Primary (click here or go below and queue video to 17:20).
In that same video, he said he wasn't running again, but that turned out to be a lie. He's found many creative ways to alienate his supporters.
It’s time for change.
If you like what you see, please share this link on social media and your friends and neighbors. Also, please consider contributing to my campaign, no matter how small. An investment in my campaign is an investment in our community. I thank you in advance for your consideration.