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Bonner County budget workshop flags multiple shortfalls; employee step increase named top priority
Summary
At a budget workshop, Bonner County staff told commissioners several funds face possible shortfalls and recommended prioritizing a countywide step increase for employees over individual enhancement requests; staff projected limited cash carryforward in several funds.
Bonner County commissioners met at a budget workshop to review fund balances and possible shortfalls ahead of the FY27 budget process. Jessica from the clerk's office told the board she had “identified 4 funds that are, gonna be running out of shortfall,” and flagged the snow groomer funds and the solid waste operation as particular concerns.
Commissioners discussed trade-offs between countywide pay adjustments and individual enhancement requests. One commissioner said a step increase would “impact all the employees of the county versus…individual circumstances,” and urged making the step increase the board’s highest priority if cash is tight. County staff said HR’s estimate for a step/cola increase would cost roughly $815,000 including payroll taxes, while they had identified about $700,000 they felt comfortable carrying forward in cash projections.
The clerk’s cash-forward projection, using a conservative 90%-year-end spending assumption, showed unspent balances in July of roughly $4.6 million in the General Fund and $7.8 million in Road & Bridge; staff cautioned those figures may change depending on year-end spending, grant awards and fuel costs. The board agreed to pursue further vetting of department spending and possible reductions in projects to close the remaining gap before formal hearings.
