Two candidates hoping to become Fremont County’s next sheriff

IDAHO FALLS – Republican Bart Quayle is running against Mark Byerhof, an unaffiliated candidate, in the race for Fremont County Sheriff.

Current Sheriff Len Humphries, who’s been in office for 16 years, is not seeking re-election.

RELATED | Fremont County sheriff not seeking re-election, will step down after 16 years in office

EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to each candidate. Their responses were required to be 250 words or less. Quayle is the only candidate who responded. His responses are listed below in their entirety, and without any grammatical or style editing.

Details about Quayle’s campaign are available here. Byerhof’s Facebook page is available here.

The general election is Nov. 5.

Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work, and any prior experience in public office.

Quayle: Hello, once again thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself. I’m Bart Quayle, first and foremost husband to my wife Anndee of 23 years. Anndee and I have been blessed with two wonderful children. My wife is a small business owner, and our children attend local schools, we are active in our church, where we appreciate the importance of fellowship and support.

With 25 years of experience, I’ve risen through the ranks from patrol officer to Chief Deputy (of two Idaho Sheriff’s Offices), gaining invaluable experience in all facets of Sheriff’s Office operations. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Charleston and have specialized training in behavioral science and leadership. I graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2019, which has equipped me to tackle modern-day challenges in law enforcement. Throughout my career, I’ve prioritized communication, open-mindedness, and critical thinking, believing public safety is a partnership between the community and the Sheriff’s office.

Off-duty, I’ve been involved in volunteer work with the Lions Club, the South Fremont Fire District for several years (where I currently serve as the elected fire commissioner), and, most recently, the Rotary Club of St. Anthony. My professional life has been steeped in public service, managing teams, budgets, and cross-agency collaborations to improve public safety.

As your Sheriff, I will apply my expertise to serve with integrity, lead with courage, and ensure justice for all community members.

Why are you seeking political office? Briefly explain your political platform.

Quayle: Over the last eight months, I’ve spent much time speaking with people on the campaign trail. And while I never set out in this career to become a politician, I have enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with many friends and neighbors. Throughout those discussions, one topic repeatedly came up, and that is the desire to have our constitutional rights defended. The emphasis on that responsibility has inspired me to step into this role with renewed purpose and much support from the public. I first swore an oath to defend the Constitution on December 9th, 1998, I’m proud of that- and my continued 25 years of service. As your Republican candidate for Sheriff, I will continue to defend our constitutional rights from that platform.

I’ll also seek to preserve the peace, protect communities, and ensure residents’ safety. Within that broad scope, my platform emphasizes law enforcement excellence through proactive leadership, professional training, great working partnerships with other agencies, and a focus on embracing technological advances to combat emerging threats.

Supporting Sheriff’s Office personnel is a priority. I will prioritize their well-being, compensation, and resources to attract and retain top talent. I will manage the budget efficiently, heavily weighing each purchase to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly for public safety.

What areas in your county need immediate improvement? What actions will you take to address those needs?

Quayle: We’ve made great progress this calendar year in terms of recruitment, we have an excellent team. Having said that, we can’t relax or be complacent on retention. The leadership, culture, equipment, and identity of a Sheriff’s office speak as much volume to recruits in law enforcement as pay does. I’m not saying that pay isn’t a factor, it is, we need to be competitive undoubtedly, but the ability to retain our experienced and veteran employees is possibly the best recruitment tool we can have. I truly believe that we can build a team with a reputation for taking care of our staff so they can take care of you.
 
A very large number of the calls for service we receive have to do with the amount of traffic on our highway, we need to stay engaged on future highway projects, prioritize traffic enforcement (with the help of our law enforcement partners), and provide a high level of service elsewhere in the county. The bottom line is people want to work, live, and visit Fremont County for many reasons, they deserve the freedom to do those things with faith that it is safe.

What are the greatest long-term challenges facing people in your county? What is your plan to meet those challenges?

Quayle: In terms of Public Safety, the biggest issue I see is growth (population=calls for service) and the challenge of growing services proportionately. It’s a heavy challenge but one I look forward to working with others on. As my good friend and author Stephen Kent writes, “Public Safety is not more work for local government. Public Safety is the work of government”. As I said in an earlier statement, understanding my role as Sheriff is just as important as understanding the interconnectivity with other county departments and community stakeholders, which is essential for a comprehensive approach to managing growth and tourism. We must work closely with other county agencies to plan for this growth, ensuring that our roads, emergency services, and public utilities can handle the increased load. My office will actively partner in preparing for and anticipating these challenges. We have a very dedicated group right now that is focused on the future and that mission, I’m excited for that future and I am eager to get to work.

How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views? How will you communicate directly with constituents?

Quayle: I am resolute in my commitment to equal emergency service for every citizen, even those with differing political views. That insistence on the constitutional right to due process has always been a fundamental focus in my career as a law enforcement officer. As I mentioned, I have learned much on the campaign trail communicating with residents in Fremont County. I said it before, but I am even more convinced now that we were all given two ears and one mouth for a reason; we should listen twice as much as we talk. My approach to leadership is built on listening, communicating the truth (no matter how hard it may be), and moving toward a common goal as a team. In essence, as Sheriff, I will ensure that the law is enforced fairly and that the safety of our county’s residents remains the highest priority. My commitment is to be a Sheriff for all, where every voice is heard and respected.

What parts of the county budget could use more funding? Are there places in the budget where cuts could be made?

Quayle: I still firmly believe in fiscal responsibility and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are allocated efficiently to serve our community. Recognizing that the Sheriff’s office is one entity within the more extensive county government system. Solid leaders acknowledge the partnership that must exist with County Commissioners and other elected officials to work towards a shared goal of broad public service. As mentioned earlier, focusing on recruitment and retention is a must. We must ensure that our deputies have the training, equipment, and personnel necessary to keep our county safe and respond effectively to any situation.

In terms of budget cuts, we must scrutinize our budget every year for inefficient spending. I support conducting regular audits and performance reviews to identify inefficiency and expect to be held accountable for spending.

Ultimately, my goal is to ensure that the Sheriff’s budget reflects our priorities: safe communities, upholding the rule of law, and prudent stewardship of taxpayers’ money.

What is your position on Idaho’s Proposition 1 ballot initiative that would end closed-party primary elections and create ranked-choice voting?

Quayle: In the spring questionnaire, East Idaho News stated that voter turnout and participation are low in Idaho and asked what efforts could be made to stimulate greater involvement. I focused my answer on the importance of election security with the belief that when people trust their vote counts they are more likely to participate, I still believe that. Last Friday, I accepted the invitation to witness the Fremont County Election Logic and Accuracy test and was impressed to learn that every possible scenario with a ballot was accurately tracked and accounted for with the current equipment. According to Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Idaho’s current election equipment cannot accommodate RCV and he estimates the costs of new equipment as at least $25 to $40 million in new taxpayer money. That is a lot of money to invest in a system that lasted two years in Alaska before an initiative to remove it. Additionally, our county clerk advised us that the county would be required to purchase new equipment if this initiative is passed. As a Sheriff, and as a county resident, we have more important things to spend our money on than an expensive, complicated, and failed idea that relies on computer algorithms to pick candidates and disenfranchises voter faith and interest even more. It is Vote No on Proposition 1 for me.

As your county increases in population, what immediate and long-term issues need to be tackled to better accommodate growth and expansion?

Quayle: Emergency Communication capability is one area that is evolving so quickly that it is challenging to keep up with. Our radio and 911 systems are advanced but are in constant need of maintenance and upgrades. We are tackling this with the mindset that it has to be beneficial immediately due to the rapid rate of growth, but sensible and sustainable for the long run. Additionally, it doesn’t matter if the growth is the result of high tourism or permanent residency, our capability to provide emergency services has to be commensurate and capable at the moment that the need arises. We are making some investments in this area with our new dispatch center and software and tower repeater upgrades, but it will always be a present challenge.

This applies to our patrol capability as well, we can’t just compare our staff levels to surrounding counties or city police departments. Fremont County is huge and has diverse needs that make it unique. As we grow, we need a strategic plan designed to provide the staff that the new workload demands and frankly, the public expects and pays for leadership that is not only thinking about this but is actively planning for it. I look forward to being part of that team and leading that vision within the Fremont County Sheriff’s office.