Osburn City Council Candidate: John Specht

John Specht, 75, is running for one of two open Osburn City Council positions and, if re-elected, plans to maintain fiscal responsibility for the city.

"(I will) continue to insure taxpayer’s money is spent wisely for the benefit of Osburn residents and provide police, street and road maintenance (including snow removal), and library services for our citizens."

His immediate family includes his wife, Sandra; two adult sons living in Silverton; and two adult stepsons living in Coeur d'Alene and Colorado.

For education, Specht is a 1964 Wallace High School graduate and a 1969 University of Idaho graduate with a degree in forest resource management.

As far as relevant experience for the position, Specht has served on the current Osburn council for the last four years. He also has been Shoshone County Emergency Manager four four years in the past, Shoshone County Fire District No. 1 volunteer Fire Commissioner for 14 years, and had been a volunteer on the board of directors for the Shoshone County Emergency Medical Service Corp. for nine years.

Prior to his work in local government, Specht was an Eagle Scout in the Osburn Boy Scout Troop and was a U.S. Army veteran with one year of service in Vietnam, where he earned a Bronze Star and several commendation medals. Upon returning home, he worked for 37 years with the U.S. Forest Service in North Idaho and Western Montana — on top of four years with the Idaho Department of Lands Fire Bureau.

Specht says that his main priorities as councilman have been and will be attending council meetings (never missing one in four years), communicating with Osburn citizens, and continuing to work on blight problems in the city.

"We moved to Osburn in 1957," he said. "I care about our community. I would like to see additional businesses locate in the city."