Pavia running for county commissioner

Jerry Pavia has announced his bid for Boundary County Commis-sioner.

A Democrat, Pavia is unopposed for the May 27 primary. In the fall, he will run against incumbent Ron Smith, who has served as a commissioner for 11 years.

The winner will represent Bonners Ferry. The job pays $28,400 annually.

“I am running for Boundary County Commissioner because of my passion for the county I love,” Pavia said in his announcement to The Herald.

A 32-year-resident, Pavia for the past quarter of a century has run a photography business with clients throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

“I know how to run a business and get projects completed on time,” he said. “I’ve served as chairman of the board of the Idaho Conservation League for 7 years because of my love for Idaho and my desire to be involved in protecting the quality of life that Idahoan’s cherish.”

Pavia worked in the timber industry for 11 years, including six years in Boundary County. He left the woods in the early 1980s after choosing not to cross the picket line during the strike at the local Louisiana Pacific mill. Pavia pursue other lines of work.

“Within these varied positions, I’ve grown to  understand the need and means, in which to achieve balance from personal experience and, most importantly, by  listening and taking into serious consideration the needs  of all involved before making decisions which have/will impact our lives for years to come,” he said.

Pavia has served on the Boundary County Parks and Recreation Board and Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative, and attended or participated in many meetings on local issues. He is currently chairman of the board  for Friends of the Arts and has performed in the Communitys Theatre, Orchestra and Christmas Choir. 

“As your Commissioner, I will bring more openness and community involvement to county government,” Pavia said. “I disagreed with how our current commissioners handled the creation of our county comprehensive plan. They asked intelligent, knowledgeable citizens of our county to come together and volunteer valuable time to create a well-researched, detailed and thoughtful plan for balanced growth and then struck through significant items of substance.”

“While they have asked for public input, the  workshops in which they ‘make policy’ don’t allow for public input,” he continued. “It was only after a public outcry that they allowed a few ‘key’ people to join them in a workshop and, yet, it is still left incomplete. 

If elected, Pavia said he also would work toward solving the county landfill problem.

“I am gathering information from model landfills in our country to use as examples for a solution in Boundary County,” he said.

“As your commissioner, I will listen to your concerns and work with you to find the best possible solutions for all who call Boundary County, Idaho, home.”