Bonner County commissioners ask departments for more detailed budgets, schedule preparatory meetings

Bonner County commissioners announced a change in the county's budget process, asking department heads to provide more detailed line-item explanations and scheduling department-level meetings before the July budget deadline.

Commissioner Williams said the new board wants a clearer accounting of department needs and costs. "This go around, we're wanting more detail from the different departments to, more understand the costs," Williams said, adding that commissioners will meet with department staff before July so "we get a good rounded view of what the needs are in the departments."

The message reflects several specific directions to department staff. Clerk Rosedale and Jessica, the county comptroller, outlined procedural changes: the budget entry window will open for department edits on the 11th (not the 8th), auditing support will be available for roughly two to three weeks in May, and departments must enter ongoing contract or recurring cost changes directly into Munis rather than listing them as one-time "enhancements." Jessica said, "the projection number for Bonner County's budget is gonna be 20262," and reminded departments to use the updated forms in the Google Drive.

Why this matters: commissioners said the expanded detail will help the county understand baseline costs, reconcile carryovers, and spot inconsistencies across departments. The county plans a closer review of unfilled positions, with guidance that vacant positions remain in the budget at the full rate unless explicitly handled as an enhancement. Commissioners also signaled a goal of aligning county budget presentations with the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) template so Bonner County could seek GFOA recognition in the future.

Other practical steps described at the meeting included a requirement that active contracts be reviewed and updated by legal before being entered into the county's contract-management system; an example was cited in which the Road and Bridge department had a contract with differing rates from another department and county staff corrected the inconsistency. Departments with atypical revenue or timing patterns, such as Parks and Waterways and Water departments, were urged to consult with Jessica early because some revenues and expenses do not arrive until August.

Commissioners asked department heads to complete employee performance reviews before budget decisions are finalized. "We got to get our performance reviews done before the May," one commissioner said, and staff confirmed the deadline as the end of May. The county also reminded departments to submit any one-off enhancement requests via the Google form; each enhancement must be entered on its own form and will auto-populate the county spreadsheet for review.

Commissioner Donke and Commissioner Corn voiced support for the approach and signaled readiness to review departmental details in scheduled meetings. The meeting closed with instructions for departments to schedule appointments with auditing or finance staff for help entering budgets and clarifying assumptions.

The commissioners did not take a formal vote during this session; the discussion set process directions and deadlines that county staff and department heads must follow as the 2026 budget cycle proceeds.