WALLACE, Idaho — The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office faces another leadership departure as voters prepare to decide on a $2 million public safety levy next week.
The jail captain submitted his resignation this week, adding to staffing challenges after Sheriff Holly Lindsay resigned last week following a car crash. Undersheriff Lance Stutzke now leads as the interim sheriff.
“That’s been a really tough transition,” Stutzke said.
The administrative departures come as the rural north Idaho county prepares for a critical vote on funding for the sheriff’s office. The public safety levy follows budget cuts imposed by Shoshone County commissioners.
“It’s to support public safety at our sheriff’s office and to kind of make up for deficiencies in the budget that are becoming apparent over the last couple of years,” Stutzke said. Stutzke warns the levy not passing could mean serious staff cuts.
“The thought of having to lose those positions is a huge burden on me right now,” Stutzke said.
The levy would primarily fund preserving current staff and purchasing new vehicles. Stutzke expressed concern that a failed vote could trigger more departures from the agency.
“A lot of people already have job offers at our office from other agencies. So we have several that have made it known that if the levy doesn’t go through, they’re going to intend to accept those offers,” Stutzke said. “And a lot of that just has to do with they don’t feel a future or a level of support here from the community.”
Signs reading “Vote No on All Levies” are visible throughout Wallace, creating additional stress for department personnel.
“It’s tough to see those signs out there,” Stutzke said. “We do a job I feel is very important to this community. And when you see that, you see people supporting that to not fund us, it’s difficult to want to do what you do every day.”
If approved, the levy would cost the average homeowner in the county about $10 more per month.
The vote takes place next week.
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