By MaryHelen Swanson

A couple of tough years may only get tougher for the citizens of Chisago County as they dig deeper into their pockets for tax dollars.

The county has approved a preliminary levy showing a 14, and some odd small percentage, increase for 2008.

This is the result of several sessions of budget preparations which have included visits from department heads and many serious discussions.

As the commissioners started the budget talk once again last Wednesday, Chairman Mike Robinson moved to adopt his budget plan which he said he prepared with the help of County Auditor Dennis Freed.

There was no double-digit increase in his plan, but the axe fell severely on many departments including the commissioners budget, information systems, sheriff, jail, regional library, HHS, highway and capital equipment.

Robinson's plan also included taking $1,125,000 out of county reserves to balance the budget.

With new growth and the anticipation of two TIF districts coming off the rolls, Robinson said the levy increase would be 3.5 percent.

He said he prepared his plan understanding all that citizens are facing now: high gas prices, foreclosures, grocery prices up, etc. He asked if the board was representing the citizens or the county department heads.

But Commissioner Ben Montzka was concerned with Robinson's cuts being "pulled out of the air" and had a big issue with using reserves to balance the budget.

He said the county is not overly rich in reserves, show me where we have an extra $1.125 million, he said.

Commissioner Bob Gustafson said the extreme cuts offered by Robinson "scared the bejeebies" out of him, not knowing what effect those reductions would have.

He, too, felt reducing the reserves was a big issue.

"This is a preliminary budget," he said, adding that the board can whittle away at the budget in the next few months before the December finalization.

Robinson responded.

At the start of the year, he said, he wanted to keep the budget down. Nobody said anything about 14 percent, he went on.

He continued saying the county departments went through cuts and struggled to reduce budgets for no reason. They should have been told along time ago, he said.

He also informed his colleagues that Isanti County is taking 4 percent of its levy out of reserves.

An amendment was made to Mike's budget motion (which by the way had been seconded by Commissioner Lynn Schultz, who stepped down from her position as acting chairman to do so) to substitute the county auditor's core budget coming in at 14-plus percent. The board heard from the auditor on his proposed budget in August.

The amendment passed 3-2 with Robinson and Schultz opposed.

Then the amended levy motion passed.

"It's only preliminary," reminded Commissioner Gustafson.

Schultz then went on to say there has to be a better way to do the budget. She said the county needs a plan for future finances.

She said she had no clue how they're going to deal with things, 14 percent, she said, "will knock the socks off our taxpayers, even if it is only preliminary. Talk about scaring the bejeebies out..."

Schultz asked County Treasurer Lee Olson for comments on future financial planning.

He said there was no question in his mind that the county needs to do something to look ahead to see the implications of what they are doing now.

The difficult part, he said, is putting together something that is acceptable and attainable, something that can be adjusted as new revenues arise. No plan will be set in stone, he admitted, but the county needs a basis from which to draw.

As example, Olson noted that with the new jail, a major expenditure, it is important to have a plan for how the county is going to pay for it and all the rest of the services.

Gustafson said the problem is that the county cuts each year and doesn't set any money aside. We're never going to build a surplus, he said.

Robinson noted that the "cutting" over the past few years has been in what the department heads have asked for, not in actual services.

Montzka defended long-range planning saying there are plans, i.e. 5-year road plan.

He said it was true the county does not have it all in one plan. We can't make a "cutesy" little plan, cannot bind future boards, he said.

He said he doesn't believe the board has no clue how to finance a jail, reminding them that the sheriff came in with a financial consultant to explain it.

He applauded Robinson for working on a plan but said he couldn't support a plan that would cut 20 deputies.

Schultz pushed Montzka for a yes or no answer about whether the county should have a financial plan.

Montzka called the question.

The preliminary levy was approved.

The commissioners have talked about continuing to reduce the budget before December. In early December the county will hold a Truth in Taxation public hearing during which citizens can comment on the budget. A final budget and levy will be approved later that month.