State aid cuts stink, says administrator

By MaryHelen Swanson
ìIt all stinks!î And thatís for the record, said Chisago County Administrator John Moosey Tuesday.
He was talking about the state aid cuts to counties, cuts that will make it difficult to balance budgets, especially when the counties have little or no option to provide services mandated by the state, and without any funding.
According to a chart prepared May 28 and provided by the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Chisago County, as expected, will lose $681,153 this year and can look forward to losing $1,086,944 in 2004.
The Chisago County commissioners, working closely with the department heads this spring, have arrived at ways to deal with the 2003 loss.
Moosey said it is harder to deal with the loss after the fact -some five months into the budget year.
Moosey said with the $1 million loss next year, the county will have to prepare itself on a daily basis, look at options to enhance revenue either by raising fees or cutting more things.
He said most likely more things will be cut.
In his first few months with the county, coming from being administrator in the city of North Branch, Moosey is finding that the county differs significantly from cities.
The county has so many mandates, he said, ìWe have to do stuff.î
Stuff, now includes housing state prisoners sentenced with six months or less at county expense. That is $75-$100 per night county costs, with no state funding, Moosey said.
According to the AMC, this will result in an estimated $8 million in new costs for the stateís 87 counties.
Chisago County, Moosey said, will have to find room for the state prisoners.
Since the county already houses prisoners in other facilities, because of space needs, it will have to house the state prisoners at additional costs, also.
ìItís an interesting time,î Moosey said.
He is, however, happy about one thing - knowing seven months in advance how much the county will lose in state aid next year.
The commissioners have already begun to look at the process for budgeting for 2004.
At the May 28 meeting, they approved a tentative schedule for working through the budget, which includes hearing the requests of the departments and putting it all together in a budget that will satisfy county residents.
Will they be raising taxes to make up for the loss?
Moosey said he doesnít know yet what direction the commissioners will take.
But Moosey personally is pleased there is time to react, time to spend making informed and decent decisions.
ìWe have time to do that this year,î he said.

Neighboring counties losing too: Isanti County will lose $425,842 in 2003, $683,986 in 2004.
Pine County will lose $383,303 in 2003, $546,731 in 2004.

Top of Page

©ECM Post Review

6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com