SANDPOINT — Bonner County is taking a step toward relieving property tax strain. 

In a July 23 meeting, the Bonner County Commissioners announced that at 1 p.m. July 30, Bonner County will host a discussion with officials from Idaho’s 2nd legislative district about property taxes.

Community members are encouraged to participate at the county administrative building or remotely via Zoom. The officials — Sen. Phil Hart, Rep. Heather Scott, and Rep. Dale Hawkins — will attend the meeting remotely. 

“A lot of the people in the district that I live in feel like they’re being taxed out of their property,” said Commissioner Asia Williams at yesterday’s meeting. “We are feeling the strain of the influx of people.” 

Because property valuation is dictated by the state, Williams hopes the discussion will encourage the elected officials to bring forth the concerns of Bonner County residents in the Idaho legislature. 

Idaho’s 2nd legislative district comprises Shoshone, Clearwater, and Benewah counties, and parts of Kootenai and Bonner counties. The majority of Bonner County residents are represented by officials from Idaho’s 1st legislative district. 

Williams mentioned she has reached out to two District 1 officials to organize a similar event. 

The commissioner reported that Jim Woodward, former state senator and current Republican nominee for the District 1 state Senate seat, expressed interest in participating. Williams said that Rep. Mark Sauter (District 1, seat 1A) had not responded as of the July 23 meeting. 

“If you’re in legislative district 1 and you guys want to hear these people speak on this topic, reach out to your representatives saying, ‘can you participate?’” Williams said. 

Williams also specified that the July 30 discussion will focus on identifying large-scale strategies like increasing the homeowner’s exemption and circuit breaker relief measures. The commissioner stated that it will not be an opportunity for residents to bring up grievances about individual properties or circumstances. 

Yesterday’s meeting also included a unanimous decision by the board to approve a new contract with Margaret Williams, an attorney who works with the Bonner County public defender’s office. Due to an upcoming change in Idaho regulations, Bonner County will now contract with Williams directly and seek reimbursement from the state. The new contract specifies an hourly rate of $225. 

Additionally, Bonner County technology director Jacob Storm requested that the board approve a budget revision to move $132,930.85 to cover costs for year-end software expenditures. The board unanimously agreed, and the new cost will be covered by subtractions from two of the technology department’s other budget items. 

Finally, Commissioner Williams presented an update on behavioral health in Bonner County. Williams reported that in the first six months of 2024, 11 suicides occurred in the county. 

“That’s a high number,” Williams said. She went on to report that Kootenai County, with a population triple that of Bonner, reported 12 suicides for the same period. 

The commissioner is currently collaborating with Panhandle Health District to ensure Bonner County residents have access to as many suicide prevention resources as possible. Williams said that Panhandle Health offers free QPR (question, persuade, refer) training for adults and is developing a version of the program for minors. 

Williams reported she is working on helping West Bonner County School District increase the number of books and other resources available to students. Lastly, the commissioner wanted to remind the community that Idaho residents can call or text 988 — the suicide and crisis lifeline — to talk to a trained professional at any time. 

“I want people to understand the significance of this problem in our community,” said Williams. “As people, we can help this problem by just knowing some of the resources that are within our community.”