⚖️ Elected Officials Training
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⚖️ Elected Officials Training

Authoritative, citation-backed training for Idaho's county commissioners, state officials, and the citizens who hold them accountable. Every page grounded in the Idaho Constitution, Idaho Code, and the principles of limited government.

"All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal protection and benefit, and they have the right to alter, reform or abolish the same whenever they may deem it necessary."Idaho Constitution, Article I, Section 2

29 training pages · progress is kept in this browser only

County Elected Officials

Idaho's 44 counties are governed by elected officials who answer directly to the people. Commissioners, sheriffs, treasurers, assessors, clerks, and prosecuting attorneys each hold distinct constitutional and statutory authority. This training covers what each office is empowered to do, and what citizens need to know to hold them accountable.

Commissioners

Module 1The Role of the County CommissionerWhat a commissioner is, what they aren't, core statutory duties, the oath of office, and Idaho's Dillon's Rule framework.Module 2Authority & PowersEnumerated powers, taxing authority, land use, ordinance power, contracts, and the hard limits on what commissioners can legally do.Module 3Conducting Public MeetingsParliamentary procedure, public comment rights, decorum vs. censorship, executive sessions, and meeting records.Module 4Idaho Open Meeting LawDeep dive into Idaho Code §§ 74-201 through 74-208. What constitutes a meeting, notice requirements, executive session limits, enforcement.Module 5Ethics, Conduct & Conflicts of InterestIdaho Ethics in Government Act, conflicts of interest, gifts, misuse of office, recall, and the public trust doctrine.Module 6Budgets, Taxation & Fiscal DutyThe county budget process, property tax mechanics, the 3% cap, debt limitations, urban renewal, and federal funding traps.

Sheriffs

Module 1The Role of the County SheriffThe oldest constitutional law enforcement office in America. Statutory duties, the oath, preserving the peace, keeper of the jail, posse comitatus, Printz v. United States, and the sheriff as protector of rights.Module 2Authority & Case LawFederal and state court rulings that define, affirm, and restrict sheriff authority. Anti-commandeering doctrine, qualified immunity, Fourth and Eighth Amendment standards, Second Amendment, and Idaho-specific statutes.Module 3Policy & Case LawCourt cases that shape public perception and sheriff policy. Use of force, jail liability, First Amendment and political speech, social media, body cameras, public records, and racial profiling.Module 4Public RelationsBuilding and maintaining public trust. Transparency, media relations, crisis communication, community engagement, social media strategy, internal culture, and accountability systems.Module 5Special SubjectsConstitutional flashpoints for sheriffs: immigration enforcement, marijuana legalization, civil asset forfeiture, red flag laws, Second Amendment sanctuaries, militarization, mental health, and federal land disputes.

Treasurers

Module 1The Office of County TreasurerThe constitutional office, qualifications, oath and bond, deputies, your first 90 days, and a roadmap of the track.Module 2Collecting the Property TaxEx officio tax collector: the roll and notice, due dates, late charges, payment handling, cancellation and relief, personal property and manufactured homes.Module 3Delinquency, Tax Deeds & RedemptionDelinquency, the lien, redemption, tax deed notice and sale, surplus proceeds, and the due process cases that govern them.Module 4Custody, Deposits & InvestmentCustodian of county money: depositories, investments, the Local Government Investment Pool, warrants, unclaimed property and controls.Module 5Distribution, Settlement & AccountingSettling with taxing districts, urban renewal distribution, reports to the board and auditor, year-end close and the audit.Module 6The Treasurer as Public AdministratorEx officio public administrator: estates with no one to administer them, securing property, fees, claims and accounting.Module 7Working With Board, Auditor & DistrictsThe board, the clerk as auditor, the assessor, the State Tax Commission and taxing districts: who checks whom and how to work together.Module 8Case Law & OpinionsThe Idaho cases and Attorney General opinions that shape the office, with what each means for you.Module 9Liability, Ethics, Records & RiskBond and personal liability, tort claims and ICRMP, ethics and conflicts, public records, retention, cyber risk and audit response.Module 10Organizations & Reference LibraryThe associations and agencies that support county treasurers, a first-year reading list, and who to call for what.

Assessors

Module 1The Role of the County AssessorHow the assessor values property, applies exemptions, defends values on appeal, and why the assessor does not set your tax rate. Idaho Code Title 31, Chapter 25 and Title 63.

Clerks, Auditors & Recorders

Module 1The Role of the Clerk, Auditor & RecorderWhat the clerk of the district court does as auditor, recorder and clerk of the board, under Idaho Code Title 31, Chapters 23 and 24. Who checks that work and where the public can see it.Module 2Elections & the County ClerkHow Idaho counties run elections, who checks the work, and what a citizen or reporter can verify.

Prosecuting Attorneys

Module 1The Role of the Prosecuting AttorneyWhere the office comes from (Idaho Const. art. V, sec. 18), duties under Idaho Code Title 31, Chapter 26, prosecutorial discretion, the duty to seek justice, and what a citizen can check.Module 2The Prosecutor as Legal AdvisorThe civil side: advising the board of commissioners, who the client is, outside counsel, privilege against the Public Records Act, and legal bills worth requesting.

Coroners

Module 1The Role of the County CoronerThe elected coroner under the Constitution and Idaho Code Title 31, Chapter 28: death investigation, independence from the sheriff, the funeral director rule, budgets and records.

Constitutional Foundations

Core ReferenceConstitutional Boundaries: Idaho & U.S.The hierarchy of law, Idaho's Declaration of Rights, the Bill of Rights applied to local government, the Tenth Amendment, and where federal mandates conflict with state sovereignty.

Resources & Organizations

ReferenceIdaho Resources & OrganizationsIdaho Association of Counties, Attorney General resources, legislative tools, court opinions, and citizen action tools: with honest assessments of each.

Coming Soon

Coming SoonState LegislatorsTraining track for Idaho House and Senate members: legislative authority, committee process, constitutional limits on legislation, and constituent accountability.
Coming SoonMayors & City CouncilMunicipal government under Idaho Code Title 50. Home Rule cities, council-manager vs. mayor-council, and municipal authority limits.
Coming SoonSchool BoardsSchool board authority under Idaho Code Title 33. Trustee duties, curriculum authority, bond and levy processes, and parental rights.
Coming SoonSpecial DistrictsHighway districts, irrigation districts, fire districts, and other special-purpose government entities. Authority, taxation, and accountability.

About This Project

This training resource exists because constitutional literacy is not optional for elected officials: it is the foundation of their oath. Every Idaho official swears to "support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Idaho." That oath demands understanding, not just recitation.

Each page on this site is original content written from a liberty perspective, grounded in primary legal sources: the Idaho and U.S. Constitutions, Idaho Code, Idaho appellate court decisions, and Attorney General opinions. Where government practice conflicts with constitutional principles, those conflicts are identified clearly and directly. This is not legal advice: it is civic education backed by the law itself.

A project of JeffAPierson.com, Jerome, Idaho.