Posted: 12/22/04
By MaryHelen Swanson
While itís still double-digit, the final levy adopted by the Chisago County board last week is less than expected.
At least, it is less than what was discussed at the countyís truth in taxation hearing Dec. 2.
The final gross increase stands at 12.2 percent.
The levy was difficult for the county commissioners to set this year and it took some time last week to decide on the final amount.
There are certainly many more needs in departments, said County Administrator John Moosey. He also noted that there are many quality programs that are not being funded, also.
Going into the meeting Wednesday night, the levy was at a 14 percent increase.
And that covered a budget where no new positions were funded and no road projects scheduled.
An attempt was made by Commissioner Ben Montzka to reduce the levy increase to 11.6 percent.
Moosey said the 11.6 percent increase would mean that the county would have to say no to department heads.
Montzkaís proposal would have cut $5,000 from the Youth Service Bureau (the total allocation) and $5,000 from the Chisago County Historical Society. The 2005 budget called for an allocation of $25,000 an increase of $5,000.
Montzkaís 11.6 proposal also cut $100,000 from the jail fund and over $600 from Home Delivered Meals which already was cut from $15,138 in 2004 to $14,601 in 2005.
Commissioner Lora Walker said she would go to 11.7 percent, but she did not want to cut YSB to zero.
Moosey had sent a memo to the board explaining what the 2005 budget would and would not do.
What it wonít do, he wrote, is allow the county to provide additional or expanded services.
It will not provide needed additional office space for an overflowing Health and Human Services department.
It will not provide for highway improvements, he went on, and it will not solve the jail over-population costs.
The budget will also not allow the county to build up cash reserves needed for emergency situations, either.
Moosey was talking about the 14 percent levy increase. He said a budget of less magnitude would result in less services as well as the inability to adjust operations to meet commissioner needs and concerns.
What the budget will allow, he said is technology upgrades to provide more efficient services to the customers - the county taxpayers. This will save personnel time and make county services more convenient by easier access online.
Moosey also noted that the budget projects savings of $418,000 by continuing a hiring freeze that was started last year.
At the end of a long discussion, the county board voted 3-2 to adopt a levy that shows a 12.2 percent increase over 2004.
Commissioners Mike Robinson and Bob Gustafson were opposed. Both had tried to reduce the allocation to the East Central Regional Library system by just over $30,000 and put that money into the county contingency fund.
The countyís portion to the ECRL system is over $450,000. The county is also paying over $531,000 in payments for library bonds for the construction of the three new libraries in the Chisago Lakes area, Wyoming and North Branch.
The 12.2 percent levy increase includes restoring $100,000 to the jail fund, $5,000 for YSB, $600 for Meals on Wheels, $7,762 for the Chisago County Historical Society, $5,000 for the Minnesota Initiative Foundation and $1,638 for the county contingency fund.
In other business, the commissioners:
ï Honored Lora Walker for her service as county commissioner for the past two years;
ï Moved to notify the other four counties in the joint powers East Central Solid Waste Commission that the amendment signed last January by Chairman Mike Robinson was void because he did not have board authority to sign it. The commissioners agreed to hold a public hearing in January to discuss the countyís options with the solid waste commission.
©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