The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted to have the Bonner County Ambulance Service District enroll as a separate employer in the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI), effective Sept. 28, 2025.

The vote formalizes the ambulance district’s separation from Bonner County payroll and aligns the district’s employer account with the date it will assume payroll and benefits responsibilities. The move was described by district leadership as a procedural step to prevent any interruption in employee retirement coverage.

Brian, chief of the Bonner County Ambulance Service District, told commissioners that PERSI originally indicated a comment in the minutes would suffice but later required a formal board action. He said, “there won't be a break in any coverage for any of the employees of the ambulance district.”

Commissioner Domke, who seconded the motion, said he had reviewed the item and saw it as a technical or semantic issue rather than a policy change: “I reviewed the item, and I agree. It looks like we're just just dealing with a semantics issue.”

The motion, moved by the district representative and seconded by Commissioner Domke, directs the county to establish a distinct PERSI employer account for the ambulance district effective Sept. 28, 2025, to coincide with the district’s assumption of payroll and benefits responsibilities. During the meeting commissioners recorded affirmative votes (Commissioners Williams, Ford and Dauchke were recorded as voting yes). The board chair announced, “Motion passes,” and adjourned the special meeting at 9:03 a.m.

Meeting discussion focused on formalizing the administrative change to meet PERSI’s requirement and avoid any potential lapse in retirement coverage; no additional policy changes, budget actions, or amendments were made during the session.