These are the eight officials calling for Canyon County commissioner to resign
Eight Canyon County officials called for the resignation of Commissioner Leslie Van Beek on Tuesday.
The eight officials say Van Beek misused confidential information and defamed elected officials and county employees, but Van Beek says that the claims are unfounded and has requested specific evidence.
Van Beek is commissioner for District 1 of Canyon County, which includes Nampa north of Interstate-84 and Star west of Can-Ada Road.
Van Beek, a Republican, was elected in 2018 to fill the vacant seat of Middleton mayor Steve Rule and won reelection in 2020 with 58% (12,818) of the votes. During her first term, Van Beek pushed to lower the county’s property tax levy rate, helping achieve a 10% drop between 2018 and 2019.
Van Beek’s vision on her Canyon County official page includes building positive relationships with “department administrators, fellow elected officials, county employees, and the public.”
Van Beek, along with commissioner Keri Smith who is one of the officials requesting her to step down, were named in a claim in November from a former Canyon County human resources director saying that they defamed her.
Read on for a list of the eight Canyon County officials calling for Van Beek’s resignation:
Commissioner Keri Smith
Smith, a Republican, was sworn in as commissioner of District 2 in January 2021 and oversees much of rural Canyon County but also south Nampa and west Caldwell. She is the current chairwoman of the Board of County Commissioners.
Smith was formerly the CEO of Destination Caldwell, a non-profit promoting the city of Caldwell and the operation that runs Indian Creeks Plaza. She also worked as a Canyon County employee for 10 years in Development Services and Information Technologies and two years as the Idaho State Floodplain Coordinator.
Smith has been a major supporter of the urban renewal program, which has helped revitalize the downtown Caldwell area but also is set to use taxpayers money for a new jail.
Commissioner Pam White
White, also a Republican, was voted into the District 3 Canyon County Commissioner seat in 2016 and has held the seat ever since. District 3 includes the bulk of Nampa east of Midway Road, including the downtown area.
White has been a public servant of Canyon County since 2004 and has held numerous positions in the community ever since. She is also retired from the retail banking industry where she was in management with Home Federal Bank.
White was in opposition to Canyon County Urban Renewal District, which is farmland along I-84 that will be developed using taxpayer money. One of those developments is a jail, to which White said in November: “This is not … what I believe is what is best for the taxpayers and the thousands of citizens in Canyon County.”
Sheriff Kieran Donahue
Donahue, a Republican, was elected county sheriff in 2012 and is currently serving his third term. He was elected as vice president of the National Sheriffs’ Association in July and is set to become president of the NSA in 2024.
Donahue wrote a column for the Idaho Statesman in November opposing the Urban Renewal District. The Canyon County Jail recently installed new body scanners under Donahue’s leadership, with the sheriff calling the need “clearly evident” to stop inmates from smuggling drugs and other contraband into the jail.
Clerk Chris Yamamoto
Yamamoto, a Republican, ousted incumbent Canyon County clerk Bill Hurst in 2018 and has remained the county clerk since. Yamamoto has in the past managed campaigns for former commissioner and now Middleton mayor Steve Rule as well as former Canyon County Sheriff Chris Smith.
Treasurer Tracie Lloyd
Lloyd, a Republican, first became county treasurer in 1997 before resigning in 2008. She ran for re-election once again in 2010, winning in a landslide with 69% of the vote. She’s remained in the position since.
Lloyd was the only Canyon County official to respond to the Statesman’s request in January regarding her vaccination status.
“I am saddened to see that personal freedoms and public health have become so contentious and convoluted,” Lloyd said. “With that said, however, I believe everyone has the right to their own personal beliefs and opinions on the subject.”
Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Taylor
Bryan Taylor, a Republican, has worked in the prosecutor’s office since 2010 and ran unopposed for prosecuting attorney in the 2020 primary. Most recently, Taylor’s office has prosecuted a Caldwell man who received 15 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter and a Boise man to 13 years in prison for child sex abuse.
A recent analysis by the Statesman also found Taylor to be the highest-paid Canyon County employee, making $139,200 annually.
Assessor Brian Stender
Stender, a Republican, was sworn in as assessor in 2017 after being highly recommended by outgoing assessor Gene Kuehn. Stender was formally the county’s chief appraisal supervisor.
Stender increased Canyon County home assessment prices by 10% in 2020, which put houses at 90% of actual market value. Stender has been increasing assessment prices as the housing market in the Treasure Valley continues to skyrocket.
Coroner Jennifer Crawford
Crawford, a Republican, defeated incumbent coroner Vicki Degeus-Morris by nearly 2,000 votes in the 2018 primary election.
Crawford’s role is to determine the cause and manner of death and may authorize an autopsy to aid in determining the cause of death. Crawford’s office purchased a mobile refrigeration trailer that can store 20 bodies in 2021 to assist funeral homes struggling to store bodies. She told the Statesman recently that the office is currently not using the trailer.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 1:20 PM.
