SANDPOINT — The Bonner County Clerk’s office is seeking to introduce college students to local government accounting through a potential unpaid internship program in partnership with North Idaho College, helping students meet credit requirements while keeping interest in local government at the forefront.  

The request was brought forth during Tuesday’s business meeting by Comptroller Jessica Stephany. Though she agreed to bring forth the item in another meeting to allow time to discuss risk and insurance logistics for the county, Stephany said she was excited about the internship opportunity.  

“I think this is an excellent opportunity for both the county and these students to see what working for the public is all about, and maybe even an opportunity to get to know potential candidates that are interested in this kind of work,” Stephany said. “I actually got my start in public service doing this exact same thing because I was required to intern for local government agencies when I was in school.” 

The proposed internship would follow suit with regulations put forth by NIC. Accounting students in the pursuit of their associate of arts degree would be required to work with the county for 135 hours over the course of four months, equaling approximately eight to 10 hours a week, according to Stephany.  

According to a memorandum submitted to the board, interns may gain supervised experience with accounts payable and accounts receivable processes; budget preparation, monitoring and financial reporting; reconciliations, documentation and internal-control procedures; and other accounting projects applicable to the intern’s coursework and experience.  

The partnership will be brought back to commissioners after a policy is drafted to address unpaid interns working in the county building. Insurance and risk sign-off are also needed to guarantee proper coverage.