County government 101

By Luke Omodt, Bonner Co. commissioner, Dist. 3 Reader Contributor

What exactly is local government? Local government is any entity that has the statutory authority or jurisdiction to deliver services, enforce the law and collect taxes. When Idaho became a state in 1890, the several counties that existed became legal subdivisions of the new state. County government’s authority comes directly from the Idaho Constitution and state statute.

This is part of a series of articles designed to inform and encourage participation in local Bonner County government. There are three ambulance districts, one cemetery district, 13 fire districts, five highway districts, three hospital districts, five library districts, one recreational district, three school districts, seven sewer districts, four water districts, 11