Budget workshops continue in county

SANDPOINT — Bonner County commissioners continued to work their way through the various departments at a series of workshops leading up to the Aug. 26 budget hearing.

The financial picture was brighter Monday, Omodt told fellow commissioners saying he'd received additional information from Comptroller Nancy Twineham. The bottom line, the updated numbers indicate and thanks to a cash carryover, it isn't necessary to absorb unfilled positions and offer a 3% cost of living raise to county employees.

"It feels nice to say that we are getting down to the nitty gritty of the budget," Bonner County Commission Chair Luke Omodt said as the board began the first of the day's two budget workshops.

The county is slated to formally take up the budget at the Aug. 26 hearing.

Just how the county could allocate funds drew sharply different opinions and priorities with many of the decisions moving forward, or not, on a 2-1 vote.

As an example, Omodt and Bradshaw indicated support for a line item to send funds to the Sandpoint Senior Center. However, Williams said support of the Sandpoint facility was improper unless the board was willing to give support to all such facilities in the county. 

"It is my very strong position that it needs to be equitably distributed throughout the county," the District 2 commissioner said. "A $1,000-$2,000 check means a lot more to a place like Clark Fork."

However, Bradshaw noted the Sandpoint center has not only asked for funding, it also has unique programs such as for Alzheimer's patients and their families. Omodt agreed, saying there are distinctions between the different senior centers in the county and noting that while Clark Fork was able to come up with its own funding mechanism, it also has approaching the county for assistance in the past.

"Sandpoint is the county seat of all of the county and when a senior goes in there, they don't ask if you are from Priest River. What they ask is, 'How can we help you?'"

Another point of contention was a request to increase the salary of a maintenance staff employee as well as how to ensure fair funding for the department as a whole. Williams emphasized the importance of adequate staffing and the need to keep the employee. Along with a request for funds to bring a position up to a comparable amount as similar positions, the District 2 commissioner said the county is obligated to fund necessary requests.

"You can't hold somebody accountable for their department if we have not given them the tools to do their job," Williams said. "And that is a huge problem for me with respect to maintenance."

The issue prompted a sharp exchange between Williams and Omodt, with both sides criticizing the other after the board chair suggested the issues might be better discussed in an executive session if it involved an employee.

Telling Omodt to "knock it off," Williams said she was talking about staffing and not a personnel issue. Omodt responded that he was there to focus on the budget and not Williams' "non-stop allegations."

"(Last week) we were legitimately considering have to absorb positions because we didn't even know if we have the funds to be able to keep those, which made me sick, even have to have that conversation," Omodt said. "Now we're talking about creating new positions."

The commissioners also heard a request for training for courthouse bailiffs, ammunitions, and on AED defibrillator. Also requested were new smart TVs to replace old equipment. 

Several of the requests, as were others, were supported, including those for equipment and uniforms, while others were "nickeled" as the commissioners ruled they could not justify the expense at this time.

Another such request by the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum. Like the other requests drew both support and concern as did a request for funding by the Selkirks-Pend Oreille Transit Authority.

Williams questioned the county's involvement, comparing it to giving funding to the Sandpoint Senior Center. However, Omodt and Bradshaw expressed support for continuing to help fund the program.

A request to fund the lease of vehicles for the Assessor's Office also sparked an extended conversation as did a pay increase for Solid Waste employees. Williams cautioned her fellow commissioners to be careful of the message they would send if the amount if more than that received by other county employees. However, Bradshaw and Omodt contended the employees not only do a thankless job but are proportionately lower than other departments. 

The two-hour morning budget workshop was followed in the afternoon by a roughly 30-minute workshop that involved discussion of the EMS budget, the county airports and the Soil and Water Conservation District among others.

Following the meeting, Omodt said a point county taxpayers need to keep in mind is that increased property assessment don't necessary mean higher taxes.

"Bonner County residents need to know that their taxes do not go up just because of an increased assessment," Omodt said. "Our budget drives the levied tax and state law restricts budget growth to 3%; inflation has increased by 15% over the last three years which has created difficult conditions for all of us."