By MaryHelen Swanson

The stress is on ìpreliminaryî Commissioner Lynn Schultz wanted it known as Chisago County pared down the 2007 levy increase from a proposed 18 percent to 11 percent.

Some commissioners wanted to go even lower while others believed it would be a mistake to cut it down so low.

Commissioners Ben Montzka and Rick Olseen tried for an 8.5 percent increase.

County Administrator John Moosey warned that the county canít have expanded government on limited dollars.

The commissioners have not had the final word in how that levy will be spent. It is anticipated that there will be worksessions through the end of the year when the final levy and budget must be adopted.

ìEleven percent is what will be on the tax statements,î said auditor Dennis Freed, adding ìparing down, whoís going to do that?î

The levy, at over $25 million, is about half of the budget.

About half of the budget, noted Moosey, is wages for county staff.

Two departments are still in a quandry about how to operate on a limited budget: Highway and Health and Human Services.

HHS director Mary Sheehan told the commissioners that the budget turned in last May was a
realî budget.

She indicated it will be difficult to even pay salaries on the reduced budget that has been proposed.

Olseen felt that the 8.5 percent increase would have been comparable to other counties.

The board has not yet even reviewed requests that are usually presented for non-county purposes, such as an allocation to the womenís shelter, etc.

During discussion it was noted that North Branch is proposing an increase of over 30 percent.

Freed said it wasnít good to adjust the county levy because of some other entity.

The commissioners talked about holding a special worksession to address the budget issues for 2007.

No date was set.