Brannon addresses clerk's office changes

COEUR d’ALENE — Responsible for several departments, Kootenai County Clerk Jim Brannon is busy enough during odd-numbered years.

In the midst of the 2016 election? Slammed.

Brannon, who oversees the elections office, district court, and the auditor, county assistance and recorder departments, is also going through change in the clerk's office.

Brannon recently let go his Chief Deputy Clerk, Pat Raffee, who held the position for five years, and was there in 2013 when Brannon became the county clerk. The Board of County Commissioners said in an email Monday that Raffee was unappointed from her position.

"Jim Brannon chose to sever our working relationship," Raffee told The Press.

Brannon said he is re-evaluating his staff and believed a change was warranted.

"I am now going in a different direction," Brannon said. "Pat's service to the county is recognized. She did a marvelous job."

He said many county departments have chief deputies, each of which can be appointed at any time by an elected official.

Brannon recently hired a new finance director and currently has an opening for recording manager. Shelly Amos is now serving as the interim chief deputy clerk, and Brannon said she has done a great job.

"I believe if you look at things to do efficiently with different skill sets, you're better serving the taxpayers," Brannon said.

Despite having a changing clerk's office, Brannon has been impressed with the work of election employees three weeks before Election Day.

"Our elections team has been extra busy, they're an awesome team. They really are," Brannon said. "They're doing great work under Carrie’s (elections manager Carrie Phillips) leadership."

Brannon's also a couple months removed from calling for an internal audit of the North Idaho Fair's finances and coming to the conclusion a forensic audit was needed.

In August, Brannon proposed a forensic audit of the county fair, which was approved in September and is currently being conducted by the firm Eide Bailly.

"When things need done, I am going to try and get them done," Brannon said.