The Annual Meeting of Schroeder Township reconvened at 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at the Schroeder Town Hall, to set the Township Tax Levy for 2018.
Following some brief conversation the levy was set at $55,000 with $8,500 designated for appropriations (a category that used to be called donations).
Under 2018 expenses supervisors budgeted $37,000 in the General Fund; $50,000 in Road & Bridge; $2,000 to the cemetery fund; $13,000 to the Recue Squad; $17,500 for the fire department; $4,000 for Recreation; $6,500 Fire Relief; $4,250 for appropriations; and $4,000 for loan repayment.
Revenues for 2018 will come from $55,000 levy funds; $5,500 in Taconite Aid (that’s a best guess); $6,000 in PLT (payment in lieu of taxes); $500 in interest; $1,500 for town hall rental; $6,500 for State Aids & Grants; $3,600 or State Aids & Grants; $3,600 for Township Aid; and $2,200 for loans to total $132,200.
The regular monthly board meeting was held at the conclusion of the annual meeting.
Once again there was a request for Schroeder Township to help fund Birch Grove community education services. Once again supervisors decided to wait until they can get a clear legal opinion telling them if it is legal for the township to allocate funds to the community education fund.
Requests for funding started in May, when the board first tabled a Birch Grove donation request for community education pending additional information. The board was again asked for funds in June and July, but because of different legal opinions rendered–some saying donations were legal while others stated the opposite–supervisors decided to table the decision until they are certain the township—and themselves— won’t be in trouble by making the donation.
Last year in an all-out effort to get some clarity on whether or not it is legal for townships to donate levy funds to Birch Grove then-Schroeder supervisor chair Tina McKeever requested and received information from the following: Senator Bakk’s office; Minnesota Association of Township (MAT) attorney, Kent Sulem; MAT District 10 representative, Jim Fisher; Tofte’s attorney, Chris Virta of Fryberger, Buchanan, Smith & Frederick; and Tom Melcher, Department of Education. Also, all three townships received a request for information about donations from Jeff Reed, Office of the State Auditor (OSA).
Birch Grove is hoping to get the community education funds to pay for 2016-2017 expenses. Township citizens had voted to donate up to $20,000 to Birch Grove Community School for 2016-2017, but the state Auditor’s Office sent an opinion stating townships couldn’t legally donate levy funds to charter schools. However, a state statute seems to give townships the authority to donate levy funds for community education programs. But until township supervisors are told for certain they can donate township funds to Birch Grove community education programming, no money will be distributed to the fund.
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