Commissioners appoint Burlingame to seat

Sanders County Commissioners have chosen a third member. Commissioners Glen Magera and Tony Cox met last week to make their selection to fill the seat of Carol Brooker, who resigned at the end of last year. The commissioners chose Claude Burlingame, an attorney from Thompson Falls, to fill the position through 2022.

As 2022 is an election year, voters in District 1, which includes portions of Plains and Thompson Falls, will select a new commissioner in November. Whoever is elected in November will then complete the remainder of Brooker’s term, which ends in 2024. As of Tuesday, Dan Rowan and Adam Bache, both of Plains, had filed as candidates for the District 1 commissioner seat. Rowan was selected by the commissioners during the first round of taking applications to fill Brooker’s seat, however, he chose not to take the position and remain the mayor of Plains.

During the selection process last Thursday, Magera reminded the crowd of about 20 residents that “no matter the outcome, it’s an appointment for 11 months. Elections can change everything.” The commissioners had discussed waiting for the election and not appointing anyone to Brooker’s seat, but state law says someone needed to be appointed. During the first round of applications, the applicants underwent more of an interview with Cox and Magera. In the most recent selection process, Magera said they let the five candidates speak about what they would do for the county. The commissioners asked candidates what top two issues they felt needed to be addressed in the county. “Only two mentioned roads,” Magera said. “That was disappointing.”

Cox said that all the commissioner candidates had different things to offer. Gunner Junge of Thompson Falls asked the commissioners about any upcoming projects that the appointed commissioner would be involved with. Magera mentioned reconstruction of Kruger Road in Plains, distributing American Rescue Plan Act funds in the county and work at the Hot Springs Airport, as well as re-evaluating commissioner district lines with the most current census results.

Burlingame, a former Sanders County Attorney, will be sworn in as commissioner next week.