Last week's edition of The Camas Courier carried a personal attack letter by Camas County Planning and Zoning Administrator Dwight Butlin. In his self-proclaimed unofficial capacity, Mr. Butlin calls me a liar and says I have cost the county's taxpayers a great deal of money. Folks, he's wrong. I will address Mr. Butlin's wrongful statements one by one in the next few weeks.
While $95,000 is a lot of money, it's just the beginning based on what Stephanie Bonney, legal counsel for Camas County, has planned. She filed an appeal with the Idaho Supreme Court regarding Judge Elgee's injunction. Last week her appeal was officially rejected. Ms. Bonney says they will continue to fight, including repeating another appeal to the Supreme Court. Again? This will cost you, the taxpayer, more money. There is a legal term for such reckless advice—frivolous. Question: Ask Ms. Bonney and each county commissioner if they would be willing to engage in legal argument with money out of their own personal pockets as I am doing and not take your money out of the county treasury.
If Camas County taxpayers have paid $95,000 to date, how much do you think the cost has been to me? Put yourself in my place. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars of my own money to defend county and state law. I have sacrificed hours, days, months and years pursuing and doing what's right and what's best for Camas County. Check it out. It is all a matter of public record.
None of this ever had to happen. Your elected officials asked for this lawsuit.
Approximately two years ago Commissioner Bill Davis told me and several other members of the community that the only way the board members were going to allow the public to participate in decisions that affected our county was if a major lawsuit was filed against the county.
Last year during a "public hearing," all three commissioners refused to explain and/or answer questions regarding how a proposed ordinance worked. After the public portion of the hearing closed, Commissioner Ken Backstrom stated that they had no legal obligation to explain the ordinance and that if I wanted to understand it, hire an attorney. This meeting and various statements are on tape.
Judge Elgee, as a third party and legal authority, has agreed with most of the issues we have presented. In his order he states, "It would appear to be irreparable harm to all the citizens of Camas County if the Court were to allow Camas County to proceed with zoning changes based on a void or illegal ordinance."
Mr. Butlin also fails to mention that if the laws had been followed, no injunction would have been enacted.
This is the first lawsuit I have been involved in. I felt the actions of our local government were so bad, corrupt, self-serving and unacceptable by normal standards that I was motivated to do what I believed was the right thing.
George Martin
Fairfield
