Greg Gentz (left) and Lloyd Speck talk after the county board meeting. The two men strongly encouraged commissioners to lower the proposed 2017 county levy from 19.88 percent to 9.9 percent.
With the polar vortex pushing temperatures below freezing outside, things heated up fast inside the Cook County Commissioners’ Room on Tuesday, December 13 when the meeting opened with comments from the public.
Following on the heels of the Truth-in-Taxation meeting held the week before (where approximately 100 people showed up), about 30 people attended the Tuesday morning session to voice complaints about the proposed 19.88 percent levy increase commissioners have been considering implementing for 2017.
Commissioner Board Chair Heidi Doo-Kirk allowed speakers two minutes to address the board, adding that the public comment period would be held to 30 minutes.
Greg Gentz of Maple Hill spoke first, reading rapidly and impassioned from a prepared text.
“I am here to ask some of you to continue your support of a single digit property tax increase and some of you to reconsider your position and support such a motion. Your ability as a leader of our community will be defined, not when decisions are easy, but when they are difficult, emotionally charged and any decision available to you will disappoint many.
“When faced with a decision, like a double digit increase of a regressive tax, like the 20 percent tax levy increase proposed, I believe it is most incumbent upon you to consider the adverse effect that decision could have on your most at risk constituents, like those living on fixed incomes such as Social Security who have seen a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 3.5 percent in the last four years in the face of a 17 percent property tax levy increase in the same amount of time. Or, families with children whose parents work multiple jobs with stagnant wages, from season to season that have invested in local property that has been affordable to them, up until this possible tax increase. Who, what should you prioritize?
“To be clear, a decision to increase the property tax by 20 percent will be picking winners and losers. Winners will be individual organizations listed in the ‘non-mandated levies’ section, the last page of the truth in taxation packet, which supports community recreation, historical societies, arts, music, radio and affordable housing. Winners will be the county government that is sufficiently large and has not been required to make serious reductions in equipment, hours of service, or staff to a level that more responsibly fits the economic base that it serves. Are these organizations your priority? These organizations and government units have benefited from individual taxpayers and in the face of current shortfalls, owe it to those same taxpayers to do the hard work of finding other, more reasonable funding sources for this coming year at a minimum.
“If the 20 percent property tax levy increase is chosen, your most economically at risk constituents will be the losers, those that have already invested in property here, that currently have affordable homes, who may be threatened with having that property become unaffordable to them if this rapid property tax increase is adopted by you. Will we lose more than 16 families who find themselves in an unaffordable circumstance due to a decision taken by this board to support items like 16 new unspoken for affordable homes?
“Each constituent relinquishes, to this board, a small amount of their ‘blessing of liberty’ that is spoken of in your handbook. Liberty, to make one’s choice and determine how to use one’s productivity, which is their income. …
“To be clear, every dollar you vote to remove from your constituents’ control diminishes their liberty. I can’t think of a more egregious assault on an individual’s liberty than causing their property to be removed from their control due to a rapid increase in taxation like what is being proposed currently. …
“I would ask a motion to be made and passed that the property tax levy increase be set at a maximum of 9.9 percent and preferably be much less.”
Lloyd Speck spoke next, imploring commissioners, to follow the lead of other counties who don’t pay for non-mandated services. Speck also cited two motions commissioners made, one in June and one in September that limited the county to spending no more than $100,000 to the YMCA. Commissioners abandoned that pledge when the county decided to take over maintenance of the YMCA (the county owns the Y building) and added $45,000 more to the Y budget. Speck accused commissioners of fraud and corruption on that move, and said, “If you don’t have integrity, resign your jobs.”
Joyce Heiskari asked commissioners to consider young families who are struggling to make ends meet, and the older folks or those people who are living on fixed incomes that can’t afford a 19.88 levy increase. “As Bob Mattson said, that’s unconscionable.”
James Vannet used his two minutes to give commissioners a business lesson. He said the YMCA had a $210,000 shortfall since opening, and the county and city of Grand Marais were expected to make up for it. Instead, suggested Vannet, “If the Y is losing money, they should raise their prices.” Vannet said at the current membership, the Y would only have to increase membership fees by $2.50 per member to pay the maintenance fees.
Doo-Kirk asked if anyone else wanted to speak, and Speck raised his hand. When she didn’t see Lloyd’s hand, she called for an end to the public comment hearing.
Commissioner Frank Moe reminded Doo-Kirk that the public comment period was 30 minutes and that time wasn’t up yet. When Doo- Kirk tried to push forward to the consent agenda, Moe made a motion to allow the public comment period to continue and the commissioners voted to allow the 30 minutes.
Speck again took the floor and told commissioners that the county was, “a candy store and you have the doors open.”
Speck said that on page 35 of their county handbook it has a section asking commissioners to get the public involved with the budget setting process. “There are a lot of smart people who you can talk to and ask questions. Not a dummy like me who digs graves that can’t count to 10, although I learned pretty quickly after I got my last tax statement.”
Following the public comment Commissioner Jan Sivertson said that even if the county did away with its non-mandated funding, which she is opposed to, it wouldn’t cut even 2 percent from the levy. She said asking for cuts to the 19.88 percent tax was like asking “which road would you want to be plowed? Or which services would you like Public Health and Human Services to deliver?”
Commissioner Moe read a motion setting the 2017 county levy at 9.9 percent. The motion was seconded, and when the action was called, Gamble, Moe, and commissioner Ginnie Storlie voted for, with Commissioners Jan Sivertson and Heidi Doo-Kirk voting against.
Cook County Administrator Jeff Cadwell met with Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers to come up with cuts to the now 19.88 percent levy for the board to consider before setting the budget by December 28.
“Braidy and I need to sit down with staff and come back with that number (9.9) to reflect that. Of course Braidy and I don’t make decisions. We give you options, and the options will be tough,” Cadwell said.
“Many of the suggested cuts (talked about earlier) have already been made to get us under 20 percent. The options Braidy and I bring to you aren’t going to be very good options, but it’s up to this board to make the cuts.”
In other business
. Cook County commissioners approved hiring Michaela Clingman as a Soil and Water Conservation technician. The position is guaranteed for two years based on grant funding. Clingman will start Jan. 1, 2017.
. Commissioner Frank Moe presented the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) agreement. Each year the county must submit a copy of its AIS guidelines to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by Dec. 31 to qualify for grant money.
Moe had worked with Cook County’s AIS Coordinator Amanda Weisberg, who reported that the second installment of aid funding would be distributed by Dec. 31 and the county will receive $22,000 more because she updated the amount of landings with parking spaces in Cook County with the DNR. The board motioned its full support of the AIS agreement between the DNR and the county.
. Bev Wolke was approved for a temporary out of class appointment from B21 Step to B23 Step for up to six months beginning Dec. 5, 2016. Wolke will handle additional work while a member of the Auditor’s Office is taking medical leave.
. At the request of Administrator Jeff Cadwell, commissioners set Jan. 31 to begin discussions on creating a financial management plan, transportation plan, and a countywide facility study.
Following a petition received by the Pike Lake Property Owners Road Association and a public hearing where there was no opposition (one person opposed the plan in writing), the county board approved creating a subordinate service district for the Murmur Creek Road from Caribou Trail to Willard Lane. The U.S. Forest Service will manage the subordinate district in coordination with the Cook County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office for the benefit of 17 property owners on Willard Lane.
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