Cook County commissioners again spent several hours reviewing the 2015 county levy on Tuesday, December 2, attempting to find ways to keep the levy increase at 7 percent with as little use of the county’s fund balance as possible.
Budget discussion got under way with County Engineer David Betts, Assistant County Engineer Sam Muntean, Highway Maintenance Supervisor Russell Klegstad and Highway Department Accountant Lisa Sorlie. They distributed a packet of budget information with proposed expenditures and revenue for road and bridge reflecting a total increase in the levy of $302,956 or 21.2 percent over the 2014 budget. The 2014 road and bridge levy was $1,424,211. The 2015 tentative levy at the board meeting was $1,727,167.
The highway department previously offered to cut $150,000 from its budget for calcium chloride ($28,000) and gravel ($50,000) but commissioners did not accept that cut. The department was back to find other ways to trim the budget.
The highway department staff and commissioners revisited budget items previously discussed, such as maintenance projects eliminated to lower the levy—ditching, culverts, blacktop patching and improving road base on a number of roads for a savings of $75,000.
The highway department said a number of purchases could be made from 2014 funds such as an office table, 12 chairs and large file cabinet for $4,850 and computer and GPS upgrades for engineering for $5,600, eliminating those items from the budget for 2015.
Other expenditures were pushed farther into the future. Klegstad asked the board if it wanted to “cash manage” the purchase of a CAT 938 Front End Loader, splitting the payments 50/50 or 75/25 between 2015 and 2016.
The board ultimately agreed to the cash management option, splitting the purchase of the CAT 75/25 and bringing down the 2015 payment to $155,250, deferring $51,750 until 2016.
Engineer Betts noted that with those changes the highway department was still over what the county board had asked for in September by about $56,000.
Klegstad said cutting a belly dump trailer would be a cost-savings of $60,000. He said with the belly dump, the county would see fuel savings. “I think it’s a good investment for the county, but we’ve gotten along without it.”
Betts agreed that the belly dump purchase could be postponed until 2016.
Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk asked what the county would save in wages and mileage.
Klegstad said he had “run the numbers” and he believed it was feasible to purchase the truck. He said the county would save enough in belly dump rental fees to pay the new trailer off in about three years, to which Doo-Kirk said, “I’ve said this before. It’s not right to make you guys cut things, especially if it saves time and money. If we need it, we need it.”
Commissioner Garry Gamble agreed. He noted that the county had started with a levy increase of 27 percent and had made significant reductions. He said he appreciated the highway department’s willingness to have this “back and forth.”
Klegstad said he did too, but added, “If we do too much of this, it’s like kicking the can down the road.”
However, Gamble noted that if the belly dump were pulled from the expenditures, the highway department’s budget would be where it needs to be.
The board asked Auditor Braidy Powers to create a new budget worksheet showing the changes discussed. A final decision on the highway department budget was postponed until after the county’s Truth in Taxation meeting on Thursday, December 4.
After the meeting, Auditor Powers provided the Cook County News- Herald with an updated road and bridge proposed budget and levy. With the reductions and changes discussed, the highway department expenditures had been reduced from $6,375,656 to $6,313,456. However, to reach the target of a 12 percent increase, the highway department is using $761,000 from its fund balance. The proposed levy now stands at $1,593,967 an 11.9 percent increase over the 2014 levy.
Other options considered
A number of representatives from departments or organizations that receive money from the county tax levy appeared before the board as requested. Caroline Wood, director of the Birch Grove Foundation was first and she gave an explanation of the Birch Grove Community Center budget and its funders. She said she is working to make the community center an accredited senior center, which would help it obtain additional funding.
The board thanked Wood for a thorough presentation. Commissioner Gamble said he appreciated the confidence she demonstrated and said he would like to recognize that. However, the board stopped short of saying whether or not it would allocate the additional $10,000 requested for the center.
The board also talked to Cook County Veterans Services Officer Pat Strand and Cook County Historical Society Director Carrie McHugh.
Commissioner Gamble repeated what he had said during budget discussion at the last board meeting. He said the county has to have a reasoned approach to determine who should be funded and for how much. He pointed out that if the county had granted all funding requests there would be a levy increase of nearly 38 percent.
He appealed to his fellow commissioners to establish criteria. He said a formula should be created to factor in volunteer hours, community need, other funding sources, etc. “I don’t want it to be that money goes to the loudest voice or the best presentation,” he said.
Finally the board considered the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) request to levy $192,000. The EDA’s Small Business Development Center Representative Pat Campanaro was at the meeting to answer questions, as was Commissioner Doo-Kirk, who is the EDA’s county board representative. There were more questions, so the EDA representatives were asked to return to the next county board meeting.
The levy must be finalized before the end of the year.
In other business
. County Engineer Betts asked for authorization to close the Highway Department office on Friday, December 26. He said a number of staff members had requested the day off. He said those who were not using a vacation day would be there working, but the door would be locked. Betts said the day after Christmas is generally a slow day for the department. The board passed a motion authorizing the closure with Commissioner Sue Hakes voting no.
. Commissioner Bruce Martinson presented a draft letter to the U.S. Forest Service to the board, explaining that the U.S. Forest Service had requested comments on its proposal to close some of its lower level forest roads to public use. Martinson said he would like to send the letter, noting that he shared the same opinion as that of
the Arrowhead Coalition for Multiple Use, which took the position that the Forest Service should work to keep all level roads open. “We are a tourism community and we rely on these roads,” said Martinson.
Martinson added that all three townships had passed motions to send similar letters.
Commissioner Garry Gamble said he had attended the ACMU community meeting where this was discussed and he supported the letter. He said there would be further study of the issue.
A unanimous motion passed to send Martinson’s letter requesting that the USFS keep all forest roads within the Tofte and Gunflint Districts opened and maintained for public recreation use, USFS forest management and fire fighting access.
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