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Bonner County commissioners push to boost sheriff's training budget amid new hires
Summary
During a June 18 budget review, commissioners questioned the sheriff's proposed training line and directed staff to raise the allocation to better match current recruiting and certification needs.
Bonner County commissioners reviewed the sheriff's training budget on June 18, pressing the department to budget more for travel and per diem as recent hiring increased demand for academy and out-of-county training.
Commissioners said the sheriff's office asked for $4,839 for training but described higher actual costs in the current year. Staff told commissioners the $4,839 figure was an average; sending deputies to POST or other academies can require per diem, ammunition, tuition and travel to locations such as Meridian, Spokane or out-of-state. The sheriff's office said 27 deputies must maintain certification across a two-year cycle and that some training can be done in-house while other courses require sending staff off-site.
Finance staff explained that if all required training were sent off-site in the same year, total expenses could reach roughly $30,000–$34,000; dividing that across a two-year cycle yields about $17,000 per year if half attend one year and half the next. Commissioners noted an anomalous current-year expense of about $10,000 tied to several deputies sent to POST and recent hires who still require academy dates. The sheriff's office said some hires had alternative pathways (one deputy put himself through North Idaho College) that reduced academy costs for that person but other new hires will trigger academy and screening expenses.
After discussion about the unpredictability of per-diem and training locations, commissioners directed staff to increase the training line to $10,000 for the coming year to better reflect likely near-term needs while acknowledging variability year to year. Commissioners asked that the sheriff's office and finance staff document assumptions used in the estimate (number of deputies expected to attend off-site courses, per-diem and tuition rates, and whether training costs will be covered by other budgets in practice).
The board also asked staff to clarify which costs will continue to be borne out of other lines and to present a clearer breakdown (hotel/per-diem, tuition, ammunition, mileage) so annual changes can be monitored and the line adjusted in future budget work sessions.
Commissioners and staff did not adopt a permanent policy on training funding during the session; they set the line for the next fiscal year and requested more detailed supporting notes for subsequent reviews.
