Doug King hopes to upset Rose for county commission post

King Hill resident Doug King has announced his candidacy for District 2 County Commissioner.

King is running on the Republican ticket and will face incumbent Larry Rose in the May 27 Primary Election. This will be King's second attempt to unseat Rose who has served as county commissioner for District 2 since 1997.

King is a 1974 graduate of Glenns Ferry High School and has resided in Elmore County all his life. His family has operated Diamond Laundry for the past 60 years, and King is a current partner in the business.

King says his job, which involves picking up and delivering laundry to clients, offers him the opportunity to interface with members of the public, including those experienced in various aspects of public service.

Through his travels, King hears concerns, and discusses a variety of county-related issues with his clients.

King decided to run for the District 2 commissioner's seat because, "I think its time for change," which he defines as "common sense." He also believes the commission is often lax with its fact-finding efforts on some issues facing the county.

With the county continuing to grow, King believes it is time that the commissioners consider hiring an economic development coordinator.

The economic development coordinator, King says, would be tasked with bringing new business into the county and its communities.

He believes such a person would have been able to assist with the search for a new enterprise to purchase the Idahoan Foods potato processing plant when it closed its doors earlier this month. A closure, King notes, that has costs hundreds of jobs and adversely impacted local commerce.

King is interested in the current study being conducted by a team consisting of city and county officials, and members of the Elmore Medical Center community to address ambulance needs in Elmore County.

At present, King believes, the county and its communities are not receiving sufficient ambulance service. His vision is to have at least one certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) on-duty 24/7 at both the Mountain Home and Glenns Ferry ambulance stations. He further believes that the commissioners should perform an annual review of the county's ambulance service to ensure the performance meets public expectations.

King says the commission must coordinate with all county and city agencies, including highway districts, fire departments, EMS, extrication teams, etc. to address the impact and future needs as they relate to growth in Elmore County. He believes it is the commission's duty to "spearhead" better communications between these agencies, as well as all communities within the county's boundaries to ensure that they work together on growth-related issues.

King would like to see the commission develop a comprehensive siting plan for power generation facilities, including the proposed nuclear power plant, but believes the federal government will take the lead in ensuring that the nuclear power plant meets all regulatory requirements.

As one of its members, King says he can bring "common sense" and "experience" to the county commission. He served on the county's planning and zoning commission for over two years, currently sits on the Soil and Water Conservation District Board, and is a director of the Elmore County Agribusiness Coalition.

King said he would like to see tax reform for area property owners and supports Gov. Butch Otter's proposal to base property taxes on purchased price rather than market value.

King and his wife, Denise, have four grown children and one granddaughter.