Bonneville County Clerk Reflects On 9 Years Of Service As She Prepares To Leave Office

IDAHO FALLS – After nine years serving as Bonneville County clerk, Penny Manning is calling it quits.

The 66-year-old Idaho Falls woman will officially step down on July 25. The Bonneville County Republican Central Committee is accepting applications for qualified candidates they can recommend to commissioners, who will choose her replacement.

The appointee will fill out the remainder of Manning’s term, which is up for re-election in 2026.

During a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Manning says the reason for her retirement is tied to her desires for more time with her family.

“My husband is retired, I’ve got 11 grandkids who live coast-to-coast, and I just don’t feel like I’ve had the time to commit to my family,” Manning says.

Manning was first appointed to the position in 2016 following Ron Longmore’s retirement. He served the county for 41 years as clerk and was recognized as Idaho’s longest-serving elected official when he retired in 2016.

Manning speaks highly of her predecessor, who, she says, initially asked her to apply for the position when he retired. She notes that Longmore was diagnosed with stage four cancer five months after leaving office and passed away in 2022 at age 75.

Another reason for Manning’s resignation is because she wanted to leave while she was still healthy and had a good quality of life.

“I’d rather go out when I know I’m capable of doing it rather than wait until I’m not doing a good job,” says Manning, who is in no way insinuating that Longmore did not do a good job during his final years in office.

Idaho statute 31-5404 outlines the county clerk’s responsibilities, which are broad. As Manning prepares to leave office, she cites elections as an area of responsibility she’s particularly passionate about because the election office is where she got her start.

The county elections office moved twice during Manning’s tenure and she was involved in the planning and designing of the current building at 497 North Capital Avenue, which was completed in 2022.

With the completion of the new Idaho Falls Police Department complex last year, she also helped convert the old law enforcement building in the courthouse into judge’s chambers.

While Manning considers those career highlights, it’s difficult for her to pinpoint her greatest accomplishment as clerk because she doesn’t consider it her success alone.

“Anything that I’ve done is on the backs of the people that I work with,” says Manning. “I don’t know that I can take credit for any of those things. We just work it as a team.”

Manning says Bonneville County is a wonderful place to live and its elected officials truly care about the community. It’s the people she’s worked with over the years that she’s going to miss most.

“The county has the greatest individuals to work with. They are what make everyday worth coming to work,” Manning says.

Penny Manning during a swearing-in ceremony. | Courtesy Penny Manning

‘I’m a success today because I had a friend believe in me’

Manning got her start in public office as an election clerk in 2009. She was involved in student body elections in high school and wanted to get involved civically after raising her kids.

Two months into that role, she took over as the elections supervisor.

In 2016, Longmore asked her to apply for county clerk.

Manning says Longmore was a good friend and mentor and it was his faith in her that prompted that decision.

She references a quote from Abraham Lincoln that describes how she feels about Longmore.

“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down,” Lincoln said, according to Manning. “Ron Longmore was that person to me. He had such faith in me and it made me want to be my best.”

Her successor will be selected before she steps down, and she’s looking forward to meeting that person and helping them transition into the role.

Manning says serving as clerk requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Over the years, she’s frequently put in 50-60 hours a week without much recognition and her advice to her successor is to be ok with that.

“Either love your job or don’t do it,” she says. “Give it your all.”

Bonneville County Commissioner Jon Walker praises Manning for her efforts in this capacity. He wishes her the best in her future endeavors and says he is going to miss his association with her.

“Penny has really set the bar for clerks across the state. She’s regarded statewide as the standard by which all others would like to excel in the way she handles our elections and the exactness with which she pays attention to the budget and the entire process,” Walker says. “It will take an exceptional person to replace her.”