Bonner County approves $213,378 carryover for sheriff’s jail door and intercom replacement

The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted Nov. 4 to authorize the county clerk to open the sheriff’s office jail budget and carry forward $213,378 from fiscal year 2025 into fiscal year 2026 to finish replacement of programmable logic controller door relays and the jail intercom system.

Sheriff’s Office staff presented a resolution citing Idaho Code that allows budget adjustments without increasing anticipated property taxes and said the project began in FY2025 and is expected to finish in FY2026. Comptroller Stephanie (first identified online during the discussion) told commissioners the funds had been transferred into the county general ledger line for the project and no expenses had yet been posted against that line; a vendor has taken measurements and is waiting to schedule installation, the comptroller said.

Several commissioners pressed for clarity on the project timeline and whether the county had previously voted to move funds. One commissioner said they had expected work to be complete because a vendor had indicated they would honor a 2024 quote; others said the work was started in 2025 with off-site work substantially complete and only on-site cutover remaining. A member of the public asked whether a certificate of substantial completion or O&M documentation had been provided before payment; the board and staff responded that no payment had yet been made and that the vote before the board only moved existing FY2025 dollars into FY2026 to allow final payments when due.

On a roll-call vote the motion passed unanimously.

The board recorded no additional conditions on the carryover. Commissioners asked staff to ensure future memos clearly state project completion status and any payments made so the audit trail is evident.