After getting an earful from more than half a dozen disgruntled speakers who asked commissioners to rein in county spending, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to stick with the proposed 5.99 percent levy increase for 2019.
Appearing during the public comment period at the commissioners Tuesday, December 11 meeting were Joyce Heiskari, Arvis Thompson, Pete Greszcyk, Ben Peters, Colton Thompson, Chet Lindskog, Brad Thompson, Lloyd Speck, Bruce Martinson, and Rae Piepho.
Comments ranged from “The money you spend is the hard earned money of the taxpayer,” said Heiskari, to “You talk about building a social services building for who? For what? You’re chasing the young people away. Are you planning a geriatric center?” questioned Arvis Thompson.
Plans to build a $4 to $5 million law enforcement center addition that could handle prisoners for longer than a short stay was rebuffed by most of the speakers who noted the county was aging, not getting younger.
Colton Thompson, age 21, said the county only needed more jail space when the Fisherman’s Picnic was occurring, and the population in the area had tripled. He asked if anyone had been in jail, then answered that he had spent some time in the local hoosegow. Thompson added he was at a make-it or break-it stage with the way taxes are being levied in the county.
With 20 years behind him serving as a county commissioner, Chet Lindskog looked at the commissioners and respectfully said, “You have a hard job ahead of you.” Then he asked them to look at setting the budget, “from the taxpayers’ point of view.”
Lindskog also didn’t sound like he was in favor of adding onto the jail.
Martinson asked about the employee compensation package, Speck brought up the levy numbers and high wages, and when he was cut off for going over his allotted time to speak, Piepho picked up where he left off and said that when it came to setting the budget, “It’s a one-directional conversation.”
Gresczyk said five years ago he bumped into a lady who had built a million-dollar home in the county. “I was very impressed by her,” he said. But recently he had done some work for her, and she told him she was, “getting out while the getting was good.” Another customer of his on County Road 7 who has a really nice home was also leaving. When Pete asked him where he was going, he replied, “I don’t know, but I’m getting out of here.”
Both of those people were disturbed by fairly recent decisions made about the county budget, said Pete. He added that he has his Grand Marais house on the market for $100,000 under its assessed value, “and I can’t sell it.”
Last, “I have a lot of friends (county workers) that got raises and good for them, but shame on you,” he said in a determined tone as he left to sit back with the audience.
During the levy discussion, District 1 commissioner Bobby Deschampe proposed a levy increase of 2.99 percent, with District 4 commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk seconding the motion so that it could be discussed.
Deschampe asked the county to take $103,000 from the county’s fund balance and use $170,000 from the Payment-in-Lieu of Taxes (PILT) received last spring from the federal government.
At the end of 2017 the county had $8,932.623 in its reserve fund balance, and the county received $7,199.16 in PILT money this year.
Counties have received PILT payments annually since 1979 in place of property taxes on 5.6 million acres of state-managed lands and 2.8 million acres of county-managed tax-forfeited lands. Dollars for the payments come from the state’s general fund.
But concerning the PILT money received in 2018, the government hasn’t given any instruction to counties that received it about where the money should go. Typically the county would get half, and the local school district half (I.S.D. 166), but there are other ways for the proceeds to be divided, and until the county gets instructions, said Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers, it is best to leave the money in the general fund.
After some discussion about Deschampe’s motion to reduce the levy, the board voted 4-1 against setting the 2019 levy at 2.99 percent.
When it came time to vote for the 5.99 levy increase, Deschampe cast the lone no vote while District 2 commissioner Myron Bursheim, District 3 commissioner Jan Sivertson, District 4 commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk and District 5 commissioner Ginny Storlie voted for the 5.99 percent 2019 levy.
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