Commissioners spar over discount for Boundary County as Bonner County seeks to recoup detention costs

At the Aug. 5 special session, commissioners debated whether Boundary County should receive a reduced per‑day rate for juveniles housed at Bonner County’s detention facility.

One commissioner argued that Boundary’s proximity and collaborative training partnerships provided in‑kind value that could justify a discount. The director told the board Boundary County provides training and regular operational collaboration and that Boundary rarely uses beds, so a partial discount would recognize that partnership.

But another commissioner said those collaborative duties—training and shared supervision—are part of the job and asked why Bonner County taxpayers should subsidize services for other counties when insurance and other fixed costs are borne locally. "Insurance is really a huge piece for me," the commissioner said, arguing the county’s stop‑loss and insurance increases require clear justification before approving substantial discounts.

The board did not formalize a vote; members generally accepted the principle that in‑state entities could be charged less than out‑of‑state or sovereign entities but differed on the discount size. The discussion closed with an informal leaning toward $225/day for Boundary County and $250/day for other partner jurisdictions as a compromise to balance collaboration with budget pressures.