My name is Boyd Burbank, and I’ve had the privilege of serving as your Commissioner for District #1 in Franklin County for nearly 12 years. It has been an honor to represent the people of this great county. I’ve also been a proud member of Franklin County Search & Rescue, one of the finest volunteer organizations around. Today, however, I’m not writing to you as your County Commissioner but as a concerned citizen.
Let’s start with democracy. What is it? Simply put, democracy is a form of government where the people elect representatives to make decisions, laws, and policies on their behalf, following established laws. It’s a straightforward concept.
Now, I have a question for the citizens of Franklin County. In our recent primary election, we had several candidates running for sheriff, and as usual, we saw a good voter turnout. Republican voters cast their ballots, and a clear winner emerged. A simple process, right? However, two candidates—Mike Wilson and Micah Talbot—have decided that your votes don’t matter.
They claim that because no one received over 50% of the vote, the election wasn’t valid, implying that the results don’t count. They would have you believe that Franklin County is the only county in Idaho without a requirement for a candidate to receive more than 50% of the vote. This is false. In fact, elections are the same in all 44 counties and we are required to follow Idaho Code which is what happened and we the people selected Cuyler Stoker to represent us as the Republican nominee.
Mike Wilson has also made several misleading claims throughout his campaign to become Franklin County’s next sheriff. He suggests that we can’t afford to house prisoners as we currently do, claiming the county spends $270,000 to $370,000 a year on inmate housing. Yet, having our own jail would cost approximately $1.2 million annually, even if the jail were given to us for free. This doesn’t include the potential lawsuits that often come with operating a jail. Caribou County has jokingly offered to give us their jail because of all the expenses associated with having it, calling it the worst investment their county ever made.
Mr. Wilson also proposes doubling the size of our law enforcement, claiming it’s necessary to meet a standard he’s set. But who will pay for it? He mentions grants, but grant money is rarely available for staffing costs—the highest expense being personnel and insurance. His plan simply doesn’t hold up financially. Us taxpayers can’t afford to double the size of the Sheriffs office.
One final concern I have is Mr. Wilson’s decision to choose Micah Talbot as his second-in-command, seemingly to gain Micah’s supporters and undermine the election results. Based on Talbot’s record as a deputy in Franklin County, he has done less work than any other deputy. I encourage you to request public records and see the facts for yourself.
In conclusion, if you want a sheriff with no respect for the election process, then Mike Wilson is your candidate. But I urge you to think carefully about the future of Franklin County.
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We welcome comments, however there are some guidelines:
Keep it Clean: Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexual language. Don't Threaten: Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful: Don't lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice: No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading. Be Proactive: Report abusive posts and don’t engage with trolls. Share with Us: Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles.