Bonner County commissioners press Panhandle Health for clinical‑services data before approving budget

Bonner County commissioners told Panhandle Health District officials they will not support the district’s proposed budget until it produces detailed, auditable data on clinical services and staffing costs.

Commissioner Williams, Bonner County’s representative on the Panhandle Health board, said she could not approve the budget as presented and asked why the district continues to operate clinical services that local federally certified providers already offer. "Can I support this budget? No. I cannot," Williams said.

The request for more information grew out of a review of the district’s budget materials and a Saturday workshop in which commissioners and board members identified a number of concerns. Dr. Fletcher, chair of the Panhandle Health District board, told the Bonner County commissioners that the district’s clinical‑services FTEs have been reduced and that the pattern of cuts appeared concentrated in the clinical portfolio, but that the reduction in salaries and benefits did not track proportionally with the drop in FTEs.

Why it matters: Bonner County contributes more than $500,000 to the Panhandle Health District budget and commissioners said they need transparent, itemized data before voting to increase that contribution. Commissioners raised questions about whether…