Bonner County ambulance district outlines multi-year shortfall, commissioners vote not to seek temporary levy

Bonner County Ambulance District officials told residents on the district—oard nd the public that the service faces a multi-year budget shortfall driven largely by capital transfers and one-time funds rather than ongoing revenue shortfalls, and the Board of County Commissioners voted not to place a temporary levy override on the May ballot.

The ambulance district projected roughly $713,000 in available cash at the end of the fiscal year based on December-computed figures and a straight-line 3% annual expense increase. Chief Lindsey said the district "was founded in 2005 as an ambulance district under Idaho statute 31,3908" and stressed the need to separate district business from county business while building reserves.

The presentation showed three items that materially changed the cash picture: (1) $2.3 million of operating funds were used in prior years to support construction of a county multiuse building that included EMS space, (2) about $4.5 million of one-time federal and tribal transfers (ARPA and…