County budgets for next fiscal year

SANDPOINT — As inflation rages, so do the calculators at the county clerk’s office.

Compared to the adopted budget for this fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022, Fiscal Year 2023 weighs in over $18.7 million heftier. The current budget is $62,413,429 while next year's budget is $81,133,014 – an increase of almost 30%.

The major areas where expenses increased were solid waste, with a $6.5 million increase; the “general” subcategory in the county’s general fund, which saw a $5.1 million increase; the justice fund, which saw a $3.7 million increase; Road and Bridge, which saw an increase of $1.3 million; and the 911 fund, which increased by almost $1 million.

Commissioner Dan McDonald said the Solid Waste department had already raised its fees a few years ago to cover ongoing maintenance and improvements which are now getting underway. McDonald also explained that the “general” subcategory’s increase is due to its status as a “catch all” for the county budget. The major factors for the general fund’s increase are fuel and employee turnover.

The “general” subcategory covers wages and expenses for most of the county. McDonald said that this is not always true, as “the state is weird about how we set up our budgets.”

McDonald also said that the justice fund’s and the 911 fund’s increases were due to higher personnel expenses as well. The Road and Bridge increase also includes its own fuel costs and has to do with personnel issues as well, he said.

McDonald stated that “employee loss” and “wage pressure” are the two strongest factors in increased expenses. With official inflation at over 9%, it is becoming difficult to retain enough employees to offer the services that Bonner County residents deserve, let alone the services Bonner County is required to provide by Idaho Code, McDonald said.

The county has had to dip into their North Idaho College fund, which McDonald said had been underutilized. And the county has even resulted to using American Rescue Plan money to fund IT positions for the county and the Sheriff’s Office.

The most sizable decrease in any budget category was in indigent and charity funds, where the budget dropped from $192,000 in this fiscal year to $53,000 for next fiscal year. McDonald attributed the drop to a phase out of county programs for low income medical, both locally and statewide, following Medicaid expansion.

Stay posted for the following days in the Daily Bee’s “Legals” section for the county’s full itemized proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023. Next year’s proposed budget should be posted on BonnerCountyID.gov within a few days.

Info: Budgetary hearings open to the public will be held Monday Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the Bonner County Administration Building, Bonner County, ID 1500 Highway 2 Sandpoint, ID.