By MaryHelen Swanson
The Chisago County Board of Commissioners, in special session Wednesday, Dec. 12, took the 14 percent levy increase proposed in September down to 9.99 percent with some reductions in line items on the 2008 budget. The 9.99 levy proposal had been created by Commissioner Bob Gustafson.

The vote went 3-2 with commissioners Mike Robinson and Lynn Schultz opposed.
The two, it appeared, wanted something less than 9.99 percent, with Robinson offering an option for a 5.43 percent increase using reserve funds to balance the budget.

The motion to adopt Gustafson's proposal was made by Commissioner Ben Montzka who added in his motion to take $10,000 from the Contingency and put it into a fund for extra library hours.

That instigated a discussion on library issues, and Commissioner Gustafson wanted to know when the Bookmobile was going to stop coming to Chisago County as there are now four libraries.

Commissioner Rick Greene, who sits on the regional library board, said in two years or when the vehicle wears out.
During discussion on the motion, Commissioner Montzka suggested a friendly amendment to return $25,000 to Human Services, return $10,000 to Nursing, and take $35,000 from Contingency.

He then offered a second friendly amendment to return $10,000 to Contingency to fund extra library hours, and add a budget line item for the library hours with a zero balance.

The question was called by Commissioner Greene.
It was then that a discrepancy was noticed between the proposed levy figure and the percentage.

To reach the proposed 9.99 percent levy, the amount must be $30,223,425. It therefore had to be changed from the $30,517,751 that had been proposed.

The vote was then held on the amended motion.

In adopting the levy, the following changes were made to the preliminary budget and levy that was approved in September.
County board: - $10,000
County admin.: -$43,842
Switchboard: -$44,229
MICS: - $65,000
Co Recorder: -$15,000
Vets Services: - $5000
Extension: - $5000
Weed inspector: - $9,812
Water Planning: -$2500
Heartland Express: -$25,000
Youth Service Bureau: -$1000
Humane Society: -$1000
Miscellaneous: -$1000
Contingency: -$217,500
Historical Society: -$1000
Regional Library: -$43,900
Oak Wilt: -$500
Central Minnesota Initiative: -$5000
Highway: -$50,000
Gravel existing roads: -$50,000
Capital equipment: -$245,000
Extra library hours: $0
Unknown cuts to be made yet: $294,326.
The board did not adopt a final budget for 2008, that is expected to happen at the Dec. 19 meeting.

The meeting has been scheduled to run from 1-3 p.m. It started almost a half hour late as they waited for Commissioner Gustafson, who was at another meeting, to arrive.

Just shy of 2:30 the meeting was adjourned with Commissioners Robinson and Schultz left unsatisfied with the results.