Concerns about county decision

Dear Editor:

 Good judgment in public office matters just as much as good intentions. That is why Kevin Jones’s public comments regarding the emergency moratorium should concern Washington County voters.

 In a public forum, Kevin Jones was asked whether he would have voted for the emergency moratorium. His answer was yes. That answer matters because emergency government action is not something to be taken lightly. It is meant for true emergencies, not situations where people simply want faster action or a preferred outcome.

 At the time, county legal counsel, True Pearce, advised that the moratorium was not lawful because Washington County was not facing an imminent peril. That standard is important. An imminent peril is not political frustration, disagreement, or public pressure. It is an impending threat of death or serious physical harm that requires immediate action and leaves no time for normal deliberation.

 There was no life threatening emergency and no serious physical harm facing the county that would have justified bypassing ordinary legal process. In this case, placing a moratorium caused a federal lawsuit.

 That should raise a serious question for voters: if Kevin Jones was willing to support emergency action without the legal basis required to justify it, what does that say about the kind of decisions he may make in office?

 This is bigger than one issue. It points to a troubling pattern in local politics. Some people are willing to praise legal counsel when it supports the outcome they want, but dismiss it as unnecessary or overused when it does not. That is not leadership grounded in principle. That is leadership grounded in convenience.

 Washington County deserves leaders who respect the law even when it is inconvenient.

 We deserve leaders who understand that process exists for a reason and that legal guardrails are there to protect the county, not frustrate it.

 Poor judgment in government can cost taxpayers dearly. Voters should take Kevin Jones’s statement seriously.

Karen Matthews

Cambridge, Idaho

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