Resident urges correction of officials’ statements and calls for transparency on 20-acre splits

Weiser, Idaho — During public comment at the May 11 Washington County Commissioners meeting, resident Frank Schwartz urged the Board to correct what he described as inaccurate statements by public officials and requested greater transparency about land-parcel procedures and executive-session use.

Schwartz said he submitted a letter on April 19 documenting inconsistencies between statements Prosecuting Attorney True Pearce made in April 2026 and statements recorded in 2025 related to 20-acre splits. He told the Board the letter had not been acknowledged as correspondence and asked commissioners to "be transparent and reconcile these inconsistent statements directly with the public." Schwartz also said written records contradict remarks by Commissioner Gordon Wilkerson and by Pearce about felony jury-trial convictions in the county, and he presented attachments he said list convictions from 2016–2024.

"I suggest that incorrect statements made by public officials that are on the official record should be corrected," Schwartz said, and he urged elected officials to act with "transparency, honesty and trustworthiness." The meeting record does not show a formal response or a commitment to correct the record during the session; commissioners did not issue a correction on the spot.

The Board did not take immediate action in response to Schwartz’s request during the meeting minutes; the public record (meeting minutes and recorded attachments referenced by Schwartz) will remain available for review and may prompt future agenda follow-up.