Bonner County ambulance board hears legal options to reorganize district; petition, levy and election processes outlined

The Bonner County Ambulance Service District board on Thursday heard legal counsel outline how the district could reorganize under recently revised state law and what steps would be required to create a separately governed ambulance district.

Legal counsel said the statutory changes allow a reorganization that can reset levy authority if the district’s boundary is adjusted, and that the new formation can create a separate elected ambulance district board rather than have the county commissioners serve in that role. Counsel said the process would require a petition, supporting city resolutions where applicable, a formal plan of dissolution for the existing district and attention to county election deadlines.

Why it matters: changing the district’s legal structure would alter local control and the district’s taxing options. The board discussed the move as a possible way to separate day‑to‑day ambulance governance from broader county duties, while staff and counsel flagged operational steps needed to avoid service disruptions.

Most important facts: attorneys on the call explained that a reorganization can be accomplished with a modest boundary change (for example excluding federal land inside the current boundary) and that, if the new district is formed, it may be…