I sincerely appreciate that our county commissioners and county staff are good stewards of our tax dollars. I am delighted when projects such as repair to the Veterans Memorial on the courthouse lawn are completed with a minimum of fuss and finance. I’m glad that the county shares some of its expenses with other counties, such as some of its human services offerings. It’s good that the county uses the state bidding process for equipment to get a bargain whenever possible.
All of these things are great, but when it comes to legal notices to the public, I disagree with our commissioners that this is a place to cut corners. At the first county board meeting of the year, commissioners quickly accepted the bid for publishing legal notices from the Cook County News- Herald.
Granted, it was the only bid. The Cook County News-Herald is the only publication in the county that meets the requirements of a legal newspaper under Minnesota statutes—something that is not that easy to do.
All of us at the News-Herald watched with interest last year as a North Shore publication—a 4-6- page weekly shopper—sought, and won, the bid to publish legal notices for Lake County. We were puzzled that the shopper—consisting almost entirely of advertisements— could be considered a legal newspaper.
The shopper did not meet the most difficult requirement of Minnesota state statutes. Unlike a newspaper, like the News- Herald or the Lake County News- Chronicle, the shopper had more than 50 percent of its printed space comprised of advertising and paid public notices. In other words, it contained virtually no news.
We contacted our colleagues at the News-Chronicle and learned that unfortunately, when the Minnesota Secretary of State collects the $25 fee that legal newspapers must pay each year, that office simply issues a statement confirming that payment has been made. The Secretary of State does no checking to see whether or not a newspaper meets all of the other qualifications.
So, it was up to the News- Chronicle to pursue the matter, which they did. With the help of the Minnesota Newspaper Association, they were able to make Lake County understand that the shopper was not an appropriate place for its legal notices. After a few months, the Chronicle—which meets all of the mandated legal newspaper requirements—was once again designated as Lake County’s legal newspaper.
Why am I bothering our Cook County readers with this tale? To highlight the important role a legal newspaper plays in a community.
All of us at the News-Herald, like the folks at the Lake County News-Chronicle, take our vocation very seriously. Yes, we are a resource for shoppers. We are chock full of ads for local businesses. We are one of the best places on the North Shore to peruse for bargains at stores, dinner discounts and more.
But we are also a real newspaper— filled with coverage of real news. We cover city, county, township, hospital and school meetings. We report on Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Forest Service activities in our area. We cover school programs, band concerts, veteran’s events, plays and parades. We offer space for a lively letters to the editor section. We share tidbits of community history in Down Memory Lane and Historical Reflections. We report on tragedies. We serve as a clearinghouse of all our county’s news—good and bad.
So, when the county balked at publishing legal notices in the News-Herald because of the price, I was disappointed. They accepted the bid of $8 per column inch— the standard rate for advertising in the News-Herald, the rate paid by all our advertisers—but the discussion then turned to saving money by not using the legal newspaper, but instead posting information to the county’s website whenever possible.
The board and county staff noted that the price had risen significantly, from last year’s $6.75. I agree the increase is dramatic. But it is the first such large increase in many years and it is in line with the increase in printing and postage and our costs to produce a newspaper.
One staffer recalled that when there were two newspapers the legal advertising rate was $1.60 per column inch. We truly wish we could afford to offer the county free legal publishing. But we can’t. That low, low, price did not even cover printing costs and was obviously not sustainable. That is why we are now back to one community newspaper.
One locally owned newspaper, offering wages for five fulltime staffers. One newspaper that provides comprehensive coverage of the entire county. One newspaper, supported by the struggling businesses in this community.
So when the county looks for ways to cut its budget, I hope that it doesn’t do it by scrimping on its legal postings. I hope it doesn’t force its citizens to go searching online for details of government activities.
And I really hope that commissioners and county staff realize that by paying to publish legal notices, they aren’t just fulfilling the obligation to inform the public, they are helping the News- Herald continue its 120-year plus tradition of bringing news to the community.
If all printers were determined
not to print anything till they
were sure it would offend
nobody, there would be very little
printed.
Benjamin Franklin
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