Candidates profiles for the May 21 primary are listed below.
Age: 38
Occupation: Rancher
Where Born/Raised: Born in Ontario, Oregon, raised in Cascade.
Education: BS in Agriculture Education, University of Idaho; Master of Business Administration, University of Phoenix
How Long Lived in Valley County: Since 1986, with the exception of 2009 – 2015 while in Ada County working for Idaho Beef Council and Idaho State Department of Agriculture.
Previous government experience: Gem/Boise/Valley Farm Service Agency, 2015-2017; Vice Chair of the Idaho Farm Service Agency State Committee, 2018 – 2021; Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission, 2021-2024 (Chair, 2023-2024)
Clubs, organizations, other activities: Valley County Livestock and Horse 4-H Leader, 2016 – present, Idaho Cattlemen’s Association, St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Community
Awards and recognitions: 2020, Distinguished 4-H leader in Valley County
Family members at home: Husband, Will Caldwell
Katlin Caldwell said she was motivated to run for Valley County Commissioner because she has a commitment to transparency, accountability and collaboration to ensure sustainability for future generations.
“I believe in fulfilling our civic duty and I will work hard to enact positive change and address local issues,” Caldwell said. “I see the bright future Valley County can and should have.”
Caldwell is seeking the Republican nomination for Valley County Commissioner in District 1 in the May primary election. She is challenged by Josh Hurley, Ben Oyarzo, Joel Ockunzzi and Harry Stathis. The seat is currently held by Commission Chair Elt Hasbrouck, who is not seeking reelection.
If elected, Caldwell’s main goal would be to protect private property rights.
“Protecting property rights encourages investment in rural communities and fosters economic growth,” Caldwell said. “Property owners should have the right to do what they want with their property as long as it follows Idaho code and does not allow unacceptable impacts to the community.”
Caldwell would also emphasize greater accountability within the county government by recognizing the importance of balancing budgets, minimizing waste and maximizing the efficient use of taxpayer dollars to provide essential services and support community needs, she said.
The county should encourage active participation of residents through more accessible public meetings to provide opportunities for community input and feedback, Caldwell said.
The county’s greatest challenges over the next few years are affordable housing and infrastructure, she asserted.
“As we navigate growth and development, prioritizing sustainable practices that balance the needs of Valley County is important,” Caldwell said.
The county should address improvements to roads and the Valley County Fairgrounds.
Caldwell was in favor of keeping the county’s current planning and zoning processes.
“Current land-use application method provides more flexibility for landowners – it does not pick winners or losers,” she said. “Traditional zoning inherently sets property values based on the zone such property is placed in,”
“Decisions made through the current method are site specific and based on services within the area and development patterns,” Caldwell said. “Valley County is a complex and unique county and multi-use zoning allows for a more thorough and detailed decision-making process.”
The structure of county government should not change, she said.
“Valley County is composed of elected officials and department heads who are experts in their professional responsibilities, and I believe we should continue to work together as a team,” Caldwell said.
Josh Hurley
Age: 38
Occupation: Dean of Students / Community School Coordinator at Cascade Schools
Where Born/Raised: Boise
Education: Attended classes at Boise State University and God’s Bible School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
How Long Lived in Valley County: Nine years
Previous government experience: Seven years with the Idaho State Police, one year at the Idaho Department of Corrections, over four years at Cascade Schools.
Clubs, organizations, other activities: Founder / Chair of Cascade Game Changer Teen Center; Administrator for Wesleyan Bible Camp; Head Basketball Coach at Cascade Schools
Awards and recognitions: ISP District 3 Trooper of the Year (2010);
ISP Letter of Excellence for helping implement E-ticketing State-Wide (2011).
Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation Spotlight for Community School Coordinator (2023).
Family members at home: Wife Jackie and children Alexis, Paige and Megan.
Josh Hurley was motivated to run for a seat on the Board of Valley County Commissioners to represent local families.
“A lack of family representation or even discussions regarding families,” Hurley said. “I believe the family unit is the bedrock of any successful community.”
“Valley County is deeply ingrained in my memory as a place for families,” he said, recalling visits to the area while growing up in Boise.
Hurley is seeking the Republican nomination for Valley County Commissioner in District 1 in the May primary election. He is challenged by Joel Ockunzzi, Ben Oyarzo, Katlin Caldwell and Harry Stathis. The seat is currently held by Commission Chair Elt Hasbrouck, who is not seeking reelection.
Since moving here, the area has moved quickly towards becoming an “elite tourist destination,” Hurley said.
“We have plenty of voices of developers, planners and other organizations representing the struggle for Valley County, but nobody that is in touch with families in District 1 like I am,” he said. “I want to represent them in decision making and the direction of the County.”
If elected, Hurley said he would seek to establish traditional zoning as quickly as possible, instead of the current method of land-use applications.
“With proper zoning, we can actually plan. Right now the closest thing to a plan that we can have is to wait for the next application for development to come across our desks,” he said.
“We can’t continue to call it planning and zoning. There are no zones so there is no plan,” Hurley said.
Hurley said he would like to establish a clearly defined direction so county staff and the Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission can plan cooperatively with developers and city governments.
“Our current system is really detrimental to long-term success, unity and vision,” Hurley said.
He identified housing as the greatest challenge facing the county.
“If we don’t act soon, we will miss the opportunity to develop portions of Valley County for the families that are required to keep Valley County a healthy, functioning community,” he said.
The structure of county government needs to change, Hurley asserted.
“I hear a lot of feedback about the direction the County is moving,” he said.
“If you show up to public meetings, nobody is there. So, there is a disconnect between the people and the representation.”
“Every Commissioner meeting is during the day on Mondays. There are no town halls. There is no transparency in public input being received,” Hurley said.
Hurley proposed moving to a once a month public meeting, with commissioners meeting more with department heads in person. He also proposed a ticket system for the public to submit comments.
“Continuing the current status quo of, ‘if you are interested, take a day off and come tell us,’ is not conducive to real involvement from the people,” Hurley said.
Joel R. Ockunzzi
Age: 73
Occupation: Real estate agent and former corporation division president
Where Born/Raised: Ohio
Education: Attended corporate operations training and courses at Ohio State University, Penn State, University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Southern Oregon University.
How Long Lived in Valley County: Eight years
Previous government experience: Planning Commissioner in Jackson County, Oregon for eight years
Clubs, organizations, other activities: West Central Mountains Economic Development Council; Idaho, Oregon, Mountain Central and National Associations of Realtors; National Mining Association; Society for Mining; Metallurgy, & Exploration; Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming Mining Associations; Rocky Mountain Energy Producers Association; Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Association; Oregon Concrete & Aggregates Producers Association; Construction Materials Association of California, California Contractors Association, Nevada Contractors Association, Oregon Cattleman’s Association, Oregon Farm Bureau, Organic Materials Review Institute, Oregon Loggers Association, Society of Explosives Engineers
Family members at home: Wife Nancy
Joel Ockunzzi said he is running for Valley County Commissioner to provide experience, leadership, judgement and common sense.
Ockunzzi is seeking the Republican nomination for Valley County Commissioner in District 1 in the May primary election. He is challenged by Josh Hurley, Ben Oyarzo, Katlin Caldwell and Harry Stathis. The seat is currently held by Commission Chair Elt Hasbrouck, who is not seeking reelection.
Ockunzzi said he was motivated to run for the seat because he is the only candidate with successful experience implementing a regional problem-solving plan to account for a doubling population.
If elected, he would provide experienced insights to assist the other commissioners in all deliberations and pass the Countywide EMS funding if it falls short in the election, Ockunzzi said.
The Valley Countywide EMS district is seeking a levy override in the May primary election to provide ambulance services in Valley County.
Infrastructure and growth are the two greatest challenges facing the county, Ockunzzi said.
Ockunzzi was in favor of updating the county’s method of processing land-use applications.
“Zoning with County autonomy, rather than the current CUP process, provides for more compatible growth patterns and complimentary outcomes in well-defined areas, to protect farmlands, and streamlines process,” he said.
“My operations and land use experience will help avoid unintended consequences and lead to faster and better results driven decisions and outcomes,” Ockunzzi said.
Capital improvements should be prioritized in a fiscally responsible cost benefit manner with the county’s master facilities plan, he said.
The next six years are critical for Valley County to get ahead of the curve with private enterprise incentives and greater state and PILT revenue sharing for more stable funding, Ockunzzi asserted.
“Looking ahead we face uncertain political, economic, forest fire, and even geophysical seismic zone activity, any of which could create literal upheaval with disruptions to plans, services, and supplies often taken for granted,” he said.
“Hazards impact our security and require extended triage or evacuation plans to secure our well-being, needing a coordinated effort with Countywide EMS, a wildland fire director, and interagency operations,” Ockunzzi said.
Ben Oyarzo
Age: 58
Occupation: Auto repair shop owner, gun dealer/gunsmith
Where Born/Raised: Born in Oakland, California, raised in San Leandro, California
Education: Arroyo High School, San Lorenzo, California; bachelor’s of science in administration/management from The University of Phoenix; California State Fire Marshal certificate for fire management, investigation, instructor, mechanic and prevention; Automotive Service Excellence master automotive and diesel repair; associate’s degree from Columbia college, associate’s degree from Universal Technical Institute.
How Long Lived in Valley County: Four years
Previous government experience: California Department of Transportation heavy equipment mechanic, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, U.S. Forest Service
Clubs, organizations, other activities: Fire Chiefs association, aircraft owners and pilots Association.
Awards and recognitions: Firefighter of the year from the California Fire Chiefs Association, Airman of the Month from the National Aircraft and Pilots Association.
Ben Oyarzo said he is running for Valley County Commissioner because his experience and knowledge in government would be an asset to the county.
Oyarzo is seeking the Republican nomination for Valley County Commissioner in District 1 in the May primary election. He is challenged by Josh Hurley, Joel Ockunzzi, Katlin Caldwell and Harry Stathis. The seat is currently held by Commission Chair Elt Hasbrouck, who is not seeking reelection.
Two goals Oyarzo would like to accomplish are improving roads and bringing affordable housing numbers up.
Repairing the county’s aging infrastructure and reviewing the budget to remove unnecessary spending are the greatest challenges facing Valley County in the next few years, he said.
Oyarzo was in favor of the county’s current method of processing land-use applications as opposed to traditional zoning.
“I feel it provides greater latitude than traditional zoning without government overreach that allows small businesses to coincide with the surrounding residents and can be modified, if necessary,” he said.
The way money, personnel and resources are used should be changed in Valley County, Oyarzo said.
Oyarzo was also not in favor of the structure of county government.
“I feel it needs a review from the top down,” he said.
Harry Stathis
Age: 70
Occupation: Highway maintenance technician for the Idaho Transportation Department
Where Born/Raised: Born in Ogden, Utah, raised in McCall
Education: McCall-Donnelly High School, marine trade technical school certifications, snowmobile technician certification.
How Long Lived in Valley County: 55 years
Previous government experience: Valley County Planning & Zoning commissioner
Clubs, organizations, other activities: Volunteer snowmobile trail groomer for Valley County; Cascade, Donnelly and McCall food pantry volunteer; American Legion Post #60 volunteer.
Harry Stathis is running for Valley County commissioner because he feels strongly about helping the taxpayers, he said.
“It’s just something that’s close to my heart,” Stathis said.
Stathis is seeking the Republican nomination for Valley County Commissioner in District 1 in the May primary election. He is challenged by Josh Hurley, Ben Oyarzo, Joel Ockunzzi and Katlin Caldwell. The seat is currently held by Commission Chair Elt Hasbrouck, who is not seeking reelection.
Fixing and maintaining roads is the greatest challenge facing Valley County over the next few years, Stathis said.
“I really want to see our roads get repaired, and don’t want band aids put on them, I want them fixed,” he said.
That should be accomplished with grant funding and better contracts, Stathis said.
County commissioners recently talked about a certain logging company that got a contract with the National Forests that contains no road maintenance agreement, he said.
“So we are going to have to repair a county road that was buggered up by a logging outfit,” Stathis said. “I know they don’t mean to do this, but it happens and taxpayers are gonna pay for it.”
Other work should be paid for through grants. One of Stathis’ goals would be to add a second grant writer to the county staff.
“Rural counties in Idaho are always hurting for money. It all comes down to money,” Stathis said. “I would like to have another grant writer or two to help get the county money for what it needs.”
Stathis was in favor of keeping the county’s current method of processing land use applications for planning and zoning.
“When I was on P&Z I remember one of our challenges was Idaho Power wanting to build in a residential area, and I was totally against it,” he said.
“They found a different location for that, which I think worked great,” Stathis said. “They have to be smart about the surrounding areas and the impact.”
Current capital improvement projects like expanding county office space and moving the county’s Road and Bridge Department headquarters are too expensive, he asserted.
“It just seems like we could find a piece of dirt and build a building for a hell of a lot less,” Stathis said.
The structure of county government is adequate, and does not need to be reviewed, he said.
“You’re not going to please everybody…but there’s always room for improvement,” Stathis said.
