Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Professional Memberships topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners ask for county policy on reimbursing professional memberships
Summary
Bonner County commissioners asked for clearer policy on which professional association dues can be charged to county budgets after extension staff listed several memberships used for training.
Commissioners at a Bonner County budget workshop asked staff to clarify county policy on reimbursing professional memberships and dues after University of Idaho Extension staff listed several associations used for continuing education.
The extension educator said she belongs to several professional organizations — including the County Agricultural Agents group and Epsilon Sigma Phi — and that those groups provide webinars and conferences she uses in local programs. She said she had paid for one horticulture society membership herself because she was unsure whether the county would cover it.
One commissioner said the county needs “guardrails” on which memberships are charged to county funds and asked whether the county should limit reimbursable dues to organizations directly germane to county functions. “We can't be a member of everything that's available, as charging to the county,” the commissioner said, adding that consistency across departments is needed.
The extension educator agreed that some memberships are primarily professional-development oriented and said the university sometimes limits specialists to one funded association. Commissioners requested that staff propose a clear policy for future budget cycles.
Ending: County staff and extension staff agreed to review association lists and return with a recommendation on which memberships should be county-funded.
