Cook County commissioners voted Tuesday, September 14, 2010 to levy up to $6,174,951, the maximum allowable amount in 2011. This would be a 4.89% increase over this year’s levy and includes several special levies.
A September 14 memo from Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers to the board states, “The2011 proposed budget and levy shows that if we do not make any cuts to departmental requests we will have to use $179,879 of general fund balance to stay within the levy limit of $6,174,951. As always, the proposed budget and levy cannot be increased but may be decreased prior to approval of the final levy in December.”
Before the vote, Commissioner Bruce Martinson recommended a 0% levy increase, using federal payment in lieu of taxes to fund program needs instead. Commissioner Jim Johnson recommended approving the maximum levy so they had the flexibility to help out entities that might need funding.
The EDA requested that the county allow them to levy $276,081, which would pay the Cedar Grove Business Park bond payment the city will owe in 2011 and put the execu- tive director position back up to full-time. The board voted to keep the EDA’s levy at the same amount it was last year— $148,566. This amount could be still be raised or lowered, however. Besides the levy amount the EDA asked for, Commissioner Bob Fenwick said, requests are being made by advocates of Superior National Golf Course for a loan to pay off bonds and for ongoing operating support.
“Difficult conversations need to take place between now and the end of the year,” Commissioner Fenwick said.
The special levies, which total a maximum of $1,609,178, are for matching state and federal grants, Public Employees Retirement Association contributions, covering reductions in federal grants to Public Health & Human Services, Sheriff ’s Department wages and benefits, and state aid and credit reductions.
Special levies that are not in the county board’s hands include the hospital, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission, the City of Grand Marais, and the Tofte-Schroeder Sanitary Sewer District. The hospital board has left itself the option of increasing its levy from $425,000 to $1.2 million. In addition, the ISD166 school district is asking voters to consider an operating levy of approximately $377,000 a year for five years.
The county will hold a meeting regarding the proposed budget and levy at a public meeting Tuesday, December 14 at 6:00 p.m. The public will have an opportunity to participate in the discussion at this meeting.
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