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Commissioners weigh whether board should formally support New Beginnings of North Idaho
Summary
A commissioner proposed a board letter of support for New Beginnings of North Idaho, which serves veterans; other commissioners said individual support is appropriate but the board should be cautious about endorsing nonprofits using public letterhead or county resources.
A commissioner asked Kootenai County colleagues on March 18 whether the board would sign a letter supporting New Beginnings of North Idaho, a local nonprofit that provides donated goods and services to veterans.
The proposing commissioner described New Beginnings’ work and said the organization is fundraising for a permanent building. “She has outfitted a number of homes for homeless veterans, furniture, toothbrushes, pots, pans, plates, utensils, and so I was happy to put that letter together,” the commissioner said.
Other commissioners supported the organization’s service to veterans but expressed caution about the county board issuing formal endorsements. One commissioner said they already sent a personal letter of support and worried about establishing a precedent for selecting which nonprofits receive board endorsement. “I don’t want to be picking nonprofits to support and to not support,” the commissioner said. Another commissioner suggested department heads such as the county Veteran Services Office could provide letters of support if appropriate.
No board letter or formal county endorsement was authorized at the meeting. The proposing commissioner said they would draft a letter and could present it to colleagues for editing if the board wished to take collective action in the future.
