The City of Orofino has a strong Mayor-Council form of government. The Mayor-Council system is the most common form of government in Idaho, with only three cities who operate under a Council-Manager form of government.
Executive Branch – Office of the Mayor
The Mayor is the chief elected official managing the day-to-day operations of the City and provides leadership and policy direction to the City Council. The Mayor chairs all meetings of the City Council, voting only in the case of a tie. The six members of the City Council work part-time, holding budget and policy-setting authority for the City. The Mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term.
Contact Information:
City of Orofino
217 First Street
P.O. Box 312
Orofino, ID 83544
Tel: (208) 476-4725
Fax: (208) 476-3634
* Contact City Hall to leave messages for the Mayor
Ryan Smathers, Mayor
City Administrator
The City Administrator is a full-time employee appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The City Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the city and is the centralized office where Department Heads report. This position prepares and coordinates all research and public relations for the Governing Body and prepares the city’s annual budget with staff for presentation and adoption by the city council.
Contact Information
City of Orofino
217 First Street
P.O. Box 312
Orofino, ID 83544
Tel: (208) 476-4725
Fax: (208) 476-3634
* Contact City Hall to leave messages for the City Administrator
Governing Body – The City Council
The Orofino City Council is made up of six individually elected members. All City Council members are non-partisan and serve for four-year terms. The Council is comparable to the State Legislature in that the Council has the legislative or policymaking powers in the city. The Council meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month and Work Session the first Tuesday of each month, when needed. All meetings start at 6:00 PM and are open to the public.
Contact Information
City of Orofino
217 First Street
P.O. Box 312
Orofino, ID 83544
Tel: (208) 476-4725
Fax: (208) 476-3634
* Contact City Hall to leave messages for the City Council
Current City Council Elected Members:
Morgan Werle
Shannon Schrader
Russ Card
Josh Tilley
Patti Bangle
Christine Erbst
City Clerk/Treasurer
The office of the city clerk performs administrative and management work in service as Clerk to the City Council. As such, the clerk sets and posts meeting notices, completes documentation for the council, and keeps complete records of all council meetings. The clerk also directs records management and City Code maintenance; administers the licensing of businesses, directs the conduct of municipal elections for the City; manages public records requests and retains legal documents including ordinances and resolutions, land deeds, vehicle titles and contracts. The clerk works with the public to answer questions regarding the Orofino City Code and all city records and strives to make all required records available and transparent.
The City Treasurer is responsible for the preparation and record keeping of the city’s financial undertakings, including preparation of financial statements and expenditure and revenue reports, plus monitoring of grants revenue and expenditures. The City Treasurer is responsible for payment of claims presented to the city regularly for goods and services provided by vendors to city departments. The City Treasurer’s office is responsible for the treasury function of the city, including management of cash flows, investments, accounts payable and accounts receivable.
Contact Information
City of Orofino
217 First Street
P.O. Box 312
Orofino, ID 83544
Tel: (208) 476-4725
Fax: (208) 476-3634
Email: dwilson@cityoforofino.gov
Invoice Only Email: orofinoinvoices@yahoo.com
Donna Wilson
Deputy Clerk / Utility Billing
Utility billing is responsible for the distribution and collection of all utility bills sent out on a monthly basis. These include water, sewer, street lighting, bonds, reserves, and sanitation expenses.
Amy Wilson
Office Assistant / Utility Billing
Utility Billing
Utility billing is responsible for the distribution and collection of all utility bills sent out on a monthly basis. These include water, sewer, street lighting, bonds, reserves, and sanitation expenses.
Allyson Skelton
Police Department
The Orofino Police Department consists of six full-time officers which includes the Chief of Police and a Sergeant. Coverage within the city limits is twenty-four (24) hours seven (7) days a week. The Orofino Police Department is staffed with professional law enforcement officers and is considered a model law-enforcement department.
Vince Frazier
Fire Department
Orofino has a part-time paid Fire Department consisting of a Fire Chief, and Assistant Fire Chief, a Captain and fifteen to twenty fire fighters. The Orofino Fire Department has an insurance fire classification of four (4) which is the highest rating that can be obtained for our community. Orofino has two fire stations and has fire agreements with the Dworshak Dam, Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, the Clearwater Fish Hatchery, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the Orofino Rural Fire District for fire protection services. The department also has Mutual Aid Agreements with ten (10) different fire districts in the event of catastrophic emergencies.
Bart Jones
Water Treatment
Orofino has a surface water source from the Clearwater River which is gravity fed into a new water treatment plant constructed in 2014. The plant consists of a membrane filtering system, one of only three in the State of Idaho with water rights of 2.3 million gallons per day. The capacity of the plant has plenty of room for business and small industrial growth. The city has five water reservoirs with a storage capacity of 2.3 million gallons.
Michael Martin
Wastewater Treatment
The city’s wastewater treatment plant was constructed in 1984 with the design capacity of treating 880,000 gallons of wastewater per day. Orofino’s wastewater treatment plant removes contaminants from wastewater, primarily from household sewage. IT includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove these contaminants and produce environmentally safer treated wastewater (or treated effluent). Equipment in the facility is slowly being replaced and upgraded year by year through experienced city staff.
Public Works
The Public Works department has five employees.The department duties are widespread due to the geographic challenges of our city/ Public Works does all repair and maintenance of city water and sewer lines, pump stations, lift stations and all components of those systems. Our team maintains all of the City parks and buildings, and also does all of our street maintenance, patching and painting. The winter months they stay busy with snow removal, deicing streets and making any and all repairs on equipment.
Our dedicated team has a very diverse background and varied skill sets that make them able to tackle any challenge thrown at them.
Shane Miller, Supervisor
208-827-3668
Shane Miller
Building Official
The Building Official oversees the safety, compliance, and integrity of all construction and development within the city. This department reviews building plans, issues permits, conducts inspections, and enforces building codes to ensure projects meet state and local regulations. By working closely with contractors, property owners, and the community, the Building Official helps protect public health, safety, and property values while supporting responsible growth.
Joni Spencer
