It's time for a fiscal injection.

The Kootenai County commissioners are proposing to reopen and amend the current fiscal year's budget, to add more than $2 million to address shortfalls with emergency assistance and provide upgrades for 9-1-1 services.

"We can wait until the new budget and add to that, or we can start the process now," said Commissioner Dan Green. "The funds are there, so let's get the project under way."

The commissioners will hold a hearing on Monday, Aug. 22 over adding $1,010,000 to indigent services, the county's assistance program.

The officials have also proposed allocating $1.4 million to 9-1-1 Dispatch, for requested upgrades.

Property taxes would be unaffected by both increases.

The indigent dollars would be taken out of the county general fund, and the dispatch improvements out of funds accumulated from phone bill taxes.

Both increases are needed immediately, county officials say.

Indigent services are expected to face a shortfall of $1 million by the end of the fiscal year, according to a county press release.

Those services have been historically underfunded, Green said, even though they provide state-mandated assistance for rent, utilities, dental and medical payments, prescriptions, burials and cremations.

"Previous administrations did not budget enough to cover the mandated expenses," Green said.

Under state law, the county can't refuse to provide assistance, said Finance Director David McDowell.

So if more assistance dollars aren't allocated, the county will go into debt.

"That would mean payment to all the vendors would not be made on a timely basis," McDowell said.

Kootenai Medical Center recently agreed to a 12 percent reduction for expenses due, according to the release.

The commissioners are still in discussions with the hospital, Green added.

"We're partnering with Kootenai Health to address costs that are mandated to us and them," he said.

The proposed increase for the 9-1-1 dispatch is in response to the Sheriff's Department's recent evaluation of its radio systems.

The current system is past its life expectancy, with obsolete parts, according to the release.

"This situation places the 9-1-1 center in a position of losing radio communications with first responders in the field," the document states.

This is also a risk for some newly installed communication infrastructure.

"To maintain operations, the 9-1-1 center should be upgraded to support the new infrastructure and reduce the risk of catastrophic failure," the release reads.

The 9-1-1 funds are collected through residents' telephone carriers. Every resident pays $1.25 per phone line and for cell service.

Currently, the county has $1.8 million accumulated through that collection, McDowell said.

The commissioners' hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 22, in Room 1 at the Kootenai County Administration Building.

McDowell doesn't expect much debate on these proposals, he said, especially since the 9-1-1 funds can be used for no other purpose.

"There isn't a lot of room for discussion on these dollars in particular," he said.