Shoshone County Officials Discuss Future Plans Pt. 3

WALLACE –– After Shoshone County Clerk-elect Lori Osterberg won her race in the May Primary Election, she could have sat around for the next eight months and waited for her term to begin.  

However, Osterberg isn’t one to sit and wait.  

Almost immediately after winning the primary, Osterberg began working in the clerk’s office, learning as much as she could from current interim clerk Peggy White. Once her term officially starts next month, Osterberg will already have several months of experience under her belt, including working directly with White during an annual budget cycle. 

The Clerk’s Office has been at the epicenter of a tumultuous past 18 months for Shoshone County, which has seen a reported multi-million-dollar budget crisis, the retirement of a former clerk, the appointment of a past clerk, additional budget issues, audits and special reviews, and more than a few contentious meetings. 

Osterberg knows she’s stepping right into the fire in her new role, but she isn’t intimidated by it.  

“I plan to continue learning the ins and outs of the job and how this office works with the other offices and departments throughout the county,” Osterberg said.  

Fiscal responsibility has been a major concern for Shoshone County’s residents in recent years, which was only amplified when the county commissioners reported that the county was facing a budget shortfall in 2023. And while that shortfall ended up being substantially less than what it was initially believed to be, the concern over the goings-on at the county level remained.  

“I want to ensure that we’re being fiscally responsible,” Osterberg said. “And then I want to be able to communicate what we’re doing here to the public. I know I’ll be learning something new each day and then I hope to be able to educate others within the county as well as our constituents. We want people to stay informed.”  

A Silver Valley native, Osterberg has worked in several high-level environments, both locally and at the state level. She jokingly will say that her primary goal is to not “screw things up.” But behind her joke is an unmistakable seriousness – More than anything, she wants to help her community. 

“I have a servant’s heart. I want to do well by the people I work for in my community,” Osterberg said. “Ultimately, the goal should always be to leave it better than you found it. I hope that I can do that during my time here.”