Ada County commissioners hold off making health board appointment. Here’s why
It’s been a tense build-up to the Ada County Commission’s decision on who will fill the vacant seat on the Central District Board of Health — and it is going to be a little longer before it’s resolved.
Commissioners voted Tuesday to table appointing a new member to the board for one week, until Aug. 17, as it became clear the commission was split on who should fill in the increasingly political position. They said the community will have more time to provide input on the candidates.
“This is such an important decision, we want to get it right,” Commissioner Kendra Kenyon said.
The decision had come down to three candidates: Drs. Sky Blue, Stan Moss and Ryan Cole. While they are all licensed physicians, much of the attention has been on their views on the COVID-19 pandemic and any restrictions that could be implemented.
Cole, who runs Cole Diagnostics in Garden City, has come under particular scrutiny for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine, including prescribing treatments that go against federal recommendations. He also has reiterated a debunked claim that the vaccine has killed thousands of people.
Commissioner Ryan Davidson said he was in favor of appointing Cole because of the doctor’s “outside status.” Davidson later said he was against previous mask mandates and that he wanted someone who stood for individual rights.
“There’s no proof any of the mandates had the effect that people would want,” Davidson said.
Health officials in the state have said mandates helped prevent the pandemic from worsening in Idaho.
Medical professionals and associations across Idaho wrote to the board in support of Blue, a local epidemiologist, while also warning about the dangers of Cole’s claims about the pandemic, which were referenced at Tuesday’s meeting.
“We are not listening to our medical community if we wanted someone other than the candidate that they got behind, Dr. Blue,” said Kenyon, who said she supported Blue.
The commission appeared to be at a stalemate, with each member expressing support for a different candidate. Kenyon, the commission’s lone Democrat, said she would support appointing Moss if he were required to consult with Blue and Cole on pandemic-related issues.
Moss, a retired orthopedic surgeon, has encouraged vaccinations but said he personally opposes any mandate for people to get vaccinated or wear masks.
“I just think that brings the best of all worlds to the table,” Kenyon said of the compromise.
The commission ultimately decided to table any vote so it could gather public sentiment on the proposed compromise.
It’s unclear how the compromise would work or how it would be enforced, if approved by the commission. No other members of the seven-person board are required to consult with outside officials before casting a vote.
Commissioners also denied the position had become politicized, laying blame at the feet of local news outlets reporting on the matter. The commission received hundreds of emails in support of Blue and Cole, most of which came after local political organizations called on supporters to send in letters.
Davidson also said in the meeting that the position is inherently political. He said he did not want to retain Dr. Ted Epperly to the Central Health Board because he didn’t agree with his policy decisions.
“I think that our Central Health District failed in their duty, because they did not understand the political side of the issue,” Davidson said.
Commissioners will take up the matter again at their meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17, in the Ada County Courthouse. Any selection must be ratified by at least seven commissioners in Boise, Elmore and Valley counties, which comprise the rest of the health district.
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 11:36 AM.
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