Board of Community Guardians asks Bannock County for $2,500 to continue guardianship services

The Board of Community Guardians asked the Bannock County Commissioners on the dais to continue its previous annual appropriation of $2,500 to support guardianship services for 15 court‑appointed protected individuals.

Chantelle Laboulou, representing the board, told commissioners the board currently has eight active, unpaid members who oversee care and decisions for vulnerable people and that the group provided a packet containing financial disclosures, goals and a description of the population it serves. "So our ask is the continued amount that has previously been provided, which is $2,500," Laboulou said.

The request matters because the board relies on volunteers and modest county support to cover operating costs and provide services that protect adults deemed unable to manage their own affairs. Commissioners praised the volunteers’ work and the board’s governance, describing the group’s contribution as ‘‘well worth every single penny.’'

Laboulou said the board had submitted documents for an audit but had not yet received feedback; she and commissioners noted the attorney for the board is generally accessible for urgent questions, and a recent concern was returned to a judge for further review. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the audit timeline and the board’s relationship with the courts, and the board described that relationship as positive though sometimes constrained by the court’s workload.

No formal vote or motion on the funding request was recorded during the presentation. Commissioners thanked the board members for their service and said they would take the information under consideration as the county budget process continues.