Koster appointed BoCo treasurer

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey
Reader Staff

Bonner County commissioners voted April 26 to appoint longtime county employee Clorrisa Koster as Bonner County treasurer after Cheryl Piehl, who has held the job for 20 years, submitted her resignation effective May 20.

Koster, who is running unopposed for the treasurer job in the 2022 election, will be sworn into the position May 23 under an interim designation. According to Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale, Koster will still appear on the primary and general election ballots. She will then be sworn into the treasurer’s office again in January, along with all other winning candidates.

Koster had to be nominated by the Bonner County Republican Central Committee before the commissioners’ Tuesday vote — the second time in fewer than six months that the committee has considered such nominations. 

Clorrisa Koster. Courtesy photo.

Piehl first announced her resignation in September 2021, with an effective date of Jan. 5, 2022, and shared plans to retire after three decades with the county — two of them as Bonner County treasurer. Under Idaho Code, the central committee offered three nominees for consideration by the commissioners: Grant Dorman, Jacob Farley and Spencer Hutchings. Before the board could conduct interviews, Piehl changed course, sharing with the Reader that “the timing just wasn’t right” for her departure, and that she had “concern for the care” of her office in the midst of December’s busy tax collection period.

At the time, BCRCC Chair Scott Herndon told the Reader: “Idaho Code certainly allows for county elected officials to change their minds about planned resignations. We will however, in the future, likely wait until a resignation actually occurs before we commence any efforts to send nominees to the BOCC, since Idaho Code always gives us that option.”

Piehl maintained her role and re-announced plans to retire in a letter to the county commissioners on March 29. In the time between, Clorrisa Koster, who has nearly 30 years of experience working in both the treasurer’s and auditor’s offices, announced her bid for treasurer. She has no challengers in the race, and boasts endorsements from both Piehl and Rosedale.

In an email April 21, Commissioner Dan McDonald asked Herndon to send over the BCRCC’s nominees for the second round of treasurer interviews. In response, Herndon said that the central committee held a special meeting to consider candidates.

“The committee agreed to submit just one nominee, Clorrisa Koster,” Herndon wrote.

Commissioners voted unanimously April 26 to appoint Koster to the treasurer position.

Koster told the Reader that she is thankful to both the BCRCC and BOCC for the opportunity to “return to the office where my career started 29 years ago.”

“I want Bonner County citizens to know that the office will continue to be run with the dedication, professionalism and accountability that they deserve while taking the department forward into the future,” she said. “Transparency, education and providing information to the citizens and taxpayers is key.”

Koster said her “top priorities” as treasurer will be offering secure payment drop boxes for taxpayers, implementing longer work hours when taxes are due and ensuring safety processes are in place to protect county funds.

“As an elected official, I work for you and my door is always open,” she said.