BONNER COUNTY, Idaho — The West Bonner County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a criminal complaint against West Bonner School District trustee Troy Reinbold for nonfeasance as a public official.
The West Bonner school board has been unable to have a meeting because Reinbold has been absent, and therefore, school business has ground to a halt. The five-member board was reduced to three following the August recall of two board members. The board needs three for a quorum to meet.
In the span of 41 days since the recall, Reinbold participated in only one of five scheduled meetings, and that was by phone and for only 28 minutes, so only a handful of duties were performed. At that meeting, he requested certain action items be removed from the agenda before he would attend, according to the other two members of the board. This week, he announced that a family emergency would preclude him from attending further meetings by phone or in person.
This week, the board was unable to interview and select candidates to fill the two open vacancies, as was planned, because of Reinbold’s continued absence.
“We’re definitely looking into it, and does it appear that there’s a crime here,” said Phil Stella, a detective sergeant with the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.
Stella said they will investigate the intention of Reinbold’s actions, which could fall under Idaho Code 18-315 — Omission of Public Duty. The code, in part, states “every willful omission to perform any duty enjoined by law upon any public officer, or person holding any public trust or employment, where no special provision shall have been made for the punishment of such delinquency, is punishable as a misdemeanor.”
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