Mertes reappointment delayed as commissioners consider restructuring health board

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners held off on reappointing Dr. Sara Mertes to the local health board amid continued calls to reshuffle the organization’s membership.

Mertes, who is one of three commissioner-appointed members of the seven-person board, was narrowly nominated for another term last month. Her current term expires at the end of the calendar year.

Appointing volunteers to the county’s various boards and committees is typically an uneventful process. But the health board has come under criticism in recent weeks for a lack of representation from the north county. Of its seven members, five hail from in and around the county seat, including Mertes.

That criticism came to a head during the board’s Nov. 23 meeting, when members reviewed applicants for the position and, ultimately, forwarded Mertes’ names along to commissioners. Although County Commissioner Mark Peck (D-1), who also sits on the board, backed Mertes’ nomination, he pledged to work with his fellow commissioners to give the Eureka area more representation.

Peck and his colleagues made good on that promise during the commissioners’ Dec. 2 meeting. They set aside Mertes’ nomination until they settled on how to give the north county more sway.

“[W]e’re excited,” Peck said. “There are some really qualified people interested up there.”

Commissioners have several options before them. The simplest is ignoring the board’s recommendation for Mertes and selecting a north county candidate for the spot. Peck has spoken out against that solution, saying last month that — given the pandemic — he wants to retain as much of the existing membership as possible.

Swapping out Peck, a Libby resident, for Josh Letcher as the commissioners’ representative on the health board represents another immediate fix. Letcher serves as the Eureka member of the board of commissioners.

George Jamison, a Libby-area health board member appointed by the commissioners, has offered to resign in order to free up a seat for the north county.

Commissioners also could explore expanding the board to incorporate more seats from the Eureka area. That requires changing the bylaws and coordinating with the county’s mayors. Along with the commissioners’ appointees, Eureka, Libby and Troy each pick an individual to represent their municipalities.

Mandating that each of the three commissioners’ appointees hail from a different portion of the county is another possible option.

During the commissioners’ Dec. 2 meeting, Peck pushed to discuss the options further when the group convenes up north Dec. 16 for its monthly Eureka meeting. He indicated he would be willing to step aside for Letcher in a show of goodwill, regardless of any future changes to the board or its structure.

“The other piece we’ve already discussed topically is placing [Letcher] on the health board, which is something that I would agree with,” Peck said. “I think we ought to put it up for consideration next Wednesday. That automatically moves more representation onto the health board from up there.”

Residents, all speaking via videoconferencing technology from the Eureka county annex, pushed the board to go further during public comment. Catherine Kahle of Trego, who has led efforts to oppose public health orders and described the pandemic as a hoax, called on members to reject Mertes and move Letcher to the health board, potentially giving Eureka three seats at the table.

Others went further. Resident Karla Westbrook called for the dissolution of the health board, citing Lincoln County Health Officer Dr. Brad Black’s “bullying” tactics.

“It’s time for the board of health to stop being the board of Hell and start focusing on the health and welfare of the elderly and infirm,” she said, describing the pandemic as a “politically-driven scam.”

Resident Pierce Barney also pushed for disbanding the health board. At the very least, they could remove Chair Jan Ivers, he said.

“That would be a better solution, in my opinion, and show that you actually care about the people of Eureka and our opinions,” Pierce said.

Resident Diane Watson described the effort to return Mertes to the health board as “deck-stacking.”

“Dr. Black said he doesn’t feel like he has any options but to put further restrictions and a tightening of the screws, so to speak,” said Watson, who has advocated regularly for officials to take a more holistic approach to the pandemic. “There most certainly are. I would like to see some balance on that board.”

The makeup of the health board has turned into a lightning rod in recent weeks as local opponents of state and local pandemic measures saw a restructured panel as one way to remove Black as health officer. Calls to increase the Eureka area’s representation on the board only began after efforts to persuade commissioners to reform the board with members willing to oust Black failed to gain traction.

Mertes, a Libby-based doctor, was nominated for another term to the board in a 3-2 vote. Debra Armstrong, the Eureka representative to the board, opposed her nomination.

During last week’s commissioners’ meeting, Peck noted that historically there had been a dearth of interest regarding the board from the north county while reiterating his appreciation for the recent rise in enthusiasm.

“These positions have always been advertised up north and we’ve had a really hard time even coming up with applicants until now,” Peck said.

Armstrong, who was in attendance in Eureka, disagreed with Peck’s assessment, but said he could continue to see engagement in the future.

“I don’t know where you’re posting it, it’s not been in a place we’re seeing it,” she said, telling Peck that the most recent advertisement gained interest after being circulated on social media. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of applicants in the future.”

County Commissioner Jerry Bennett (D-2) made the motion to set Mertes’ nomination aside. Letcher offered a second. The vote was unanimous.