May 4

Country Courier
S e r v i n g To d d C o u n t y , M N
VOLUME 22; NUMBER 11 - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 CIRCULATION 6,000

Counties dig into 2014 budget work

alloCounty has a population of 28,396. Cass County has a county administrator and a chief financial officer. According to a July 26 report in the Brainerd Dispatch, the county prepares its budget using a budget committee that includes one citizen appointee from each commissioner district. The committee reviews department head budget requests, then prepares the countys budget with help from the auditor/treasurer, chief financial officer, and county administrator and recommends its adoption to the county board. Cass County has five bargaining units. According to the Brainerd Dispatch (July 26, 2013), the county settled labor agreements with a two-year contract for 2013 and 2014, giving employees 2.5% wage increases at the beginning of each year, plus step increases mid-year of 3%. The countys contingency fund will pay for those raises. County financial officials reported trends and projected budget needs to the county during its annual planning meeting on July 26. (Monica Lundquist, Brainerd Dispatch, July 26) Cass County Engineer David Enblom told his board the new Wheelage Tax could bring in $250,000 per year for highway projects, but the board decided against implementing it. The 2011 budget contained expenditures of $48,482,697. 2012 budget had expenditures of $48,339,692. 2013 budget listed expenditures of $49,487,647. The county set a goal of no increase in its 2013 pay 2014 levy, but has not published its 2014 projected budget yet. Cass County has no bond debt. Cass County officials did not respond to our requests for interviews or information on their budget processes. Continued on page 11

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By Rin Porter One of the tasks Minnesotas counties face every summer is preparing a budget for the following year. All 87 Minnesota counties have to do this as part of the groundwork for deciding where to set their property tax preliminary levies by Sept. 15 of each year. Todd Countys five commissioners and auditor/treasurer are the officials charged with preparing the annual budget and levy figures. They are in the midst of the process now. In some counties, the county administrator, county coordinator, or finance officer either assist with or personally carry out the budgeting process, subject to county board approval. To give Todd County residents some perspective on what neighboring counties are dong, we contacted the four small counties that surround Todd and asked them about their budget processes. We did not include Otter Tail or Stearns County, because they have populations and acreage more than twice the size of Todd County, and we did not consider them fair comparisons. Here are the results of our comparisons of county budget processes. TODD COUNTY According to 2011 estimates from the Minnesota Legislature, Todd County has a population of 24,823 people. Todd County currently has neither a county administrator nor a county coordinator. Todd County has five commissioners and an auditor/treasurer who are preparing the 2014 budget and levy. This is the first time in five years these officials will carry out this work. From 2009 to 2012, a county administrator prepared the budget and the county board approved it. The administrator resigned at the end of December 2012. This summer, commissioners asked all county department and division heads to appear before the county board and present their requests for 2014 budget

cations. During this process, commissioners learned of serious needs for road construction and maintenance funds, building repair funds, and Sheriff s Department wage reserves to cover part-time deputies and jailer/dispatchers when full-time employees are on sick leave, vacation, or family medical leave. These funding needs, if met, would increase the countys expenditures by about a million dollars in 2014. However, county revenues will not increase enough to cover the increased expenditures. County roads in Todd County have not received any maintenance in more than five years. The County Engineer requested a large appropriation of county funds for the next several years to allow him to carry out road maintenance on county roads. Several county buildings need new roofs. Annex I and Annex II need new rooftop air conditioning units, the jail has plumbing leaks and needs a new water softener, the Main Street Government Center needs a new boiler, and employees have requested that lights be installed in the county parking lot. Todd County faces labor negotiations with its bargaining units this fall. The current labor contracts end on Dec. 31, 2013. Some neighboring counties are also scheduled for labor negotiations, and others have settled with their bargaining units for wage increases of 2% to 3% per year for the next two to three years. All counties face health insurance cost increases of about 5% in 2014. The county has outstanding bond debt that will cost $647,900 in 2014. The 2011 budget contained expenditures of $29,515,590, 2012s were $35,807,565, 2013s were $26,845,815, and projected 2014 expenditures are $27,686,928. CASS COUNTY According to 2011 Minnesota Legislature estimates, Cass

Browerville has one Grandma, Shari Tapp, who lives in Long Prairie.

Catholic Charities Central MN Foster Grandparent Program

New clothes are bought, backpacks are prepared, and buses are boarded as children begin the journey of a new school year. They are not alone in their preparations; their anticipation and excitement is shared by 200 Foster Grandparent senior volunteers across central Minnesota who will also be back serving in local schools, Head Starts, and other non-profit agencies. In Long Prairie there are seven Foster Grandparent volunteers: Margaret Becker, Neva Pesta, Ann Burger, Sandy Devens, Wanda Thompson, Mary Lu Smith (not pictured) and Beverly Heinze. Browerville has one Grandma, Shari Tapp, who lives in Long Prairie. Foster Grandparents often work with children to improve reading skills, increase their understanding of math concepts, and provide extra attention and support to those that are falling behind. These volunteers become role models for the students they mentor. Students are able to develop practical skills and a higher sense of self-worth. As we begin another school year, we are reminded once again of the investment Foster Grandparents make in youth in our community, said Stacy Lund, Foster Grandparent Program Director. Our volunteers serve as tutors, mentors and friends to kids who need them most. We are grateful for their efforts, and for the lives they change each school year. For information on the Foster Grandparent Program, or becoming a Foster Grandparent, please contact Pat Scherf, Area Supervisor at 320-293-0682 or email Pat at pscherf@ccstcloud.org.

In Long Prairie there are seven Foster Grandparent volunteers: Margaret Becker, Neva Pesta, Ann Burger, Sandy Devens, Wanda Thompson, Mary Lu Smith (not pictured) and Beverly Heinze.