Reimbursement question
Idaho has a search and rescue reimbursement program to reimburse volunteers for their equipment use. They do not get paid for the time they volunteer, just for personal equipment use.
The form is on the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association website. On the last page is where the sheriff’s office enters the expenses they incurred for the incident. “Please indicate additionally to the reimbursement allowed, the true costs of the search. Hours of county employees, use of vehicles belonging to counties, and the value of the time. Our goal is to compare the actual search cost for the county to the reimbursement amount allowed.”
Yet Clearwater County Sheriff Chris Goetz applied for and received monies from this program for helicopter use that was under contract to his office. That use would have been considered county employees and vehicles as it was not considered volunteer.
That reimbursement check was sent to Clearwater County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue. Then he cut a check payable to Backcountry Medic. Then a check was cut from Backcountry Medic to Hillcrest Aircraft to pay the bill for their service.
If this was an allowable expense for the helicopter use, the reimbursement check should have been sent directly to the sheriff’s office and not passed through CCSSAR and then through Backcountry Medic before the bill was paid. Sheriff Goetz has done this more than once. Questionable integrity?
Fred Allen
Orofino
Sign that primary petition
Here’s hoping that folks sign the Open Primary Initiative Petition, and that it gets on the ballot and passes, thus giving voters the right to vote how they please.
Anything less feels un-American.
Steve Koehler
Grangeville
