County passes preliminary budget

By Mike Mallow

Editor, Grant County Herald

Amid the final negotiations for city law enforcement contracts, the Grant County Board of Commissioners approved a preliminary budget at their regular meeting Sept. 15.

The levy was set at $9,289,634, representing a 5.002% increase over the previous year. The budget was passed unanimously. Commissioner Doyle Sperr was absent from the meeting.

The Grant County HRA budget, a separate budget from the county, was approved with a levy of $200,000.

According to state statute, counties must certify their proposed budgets by Sept. 30 each year. The budget, not yet set in stone, can be further adjusted before the final budget is approved. Final approval of the budget must be completed before Dec. 28.

The county must also set a Truth in Taxation public hearing after Nov. 24. The meeting can be held no earlier than 6 p.m. Grant County’s Truth in Taxation meeting is set for Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the county board’s regular meeting room.

Law Enforcement Contracts

Sheriff Jennifer Vipond told the county board that the cities of Ashby, Wendell and Hoffman signed the law enforcement contracts. Barrett was likely to sign but had not as of last Tuesday’s meeting.

Elbow Lake had not signed yet, either, but presented a third counteroffer later in the meeting. On a 3-0 vote, the offer was rejected. Commissioner Bill LaValley abstained.

Of the remaining cities, Herman chose not going to sign the contract. Norcross does not participate.

“I did talk to everybody from these cities, and I think they really want further discussions,” Vipond told the board. “They would like all five of the commissioners in the room at that time.”

Commissioner Troy Johnson was open to the idea. “Spending a few more hours trying to hit a resolution is better than just ramming through stuff.”

Commissioner Ken Johnson disagreed. “I think we’ve met enough. Obviously, Elbow Lake doesn’t agree. We come to this community and we’re proud of it. We come for the dentists, we come for an attorney, we come for a hardware store and a lumber yard, we come for a vet clinic, for a hospital and a clinic, for a license bureau and all the services of Grant County, for two large equipment dealers, for a pharmacy, for a grocery store, for a restaurant, for insurance agents, for financing, for banks, for a law enforcement center, for social services, and human health (services). We come here for all those services that the other communities don’t have, and to not accept the contract that went down… for what we come here for. I don’t understand.”

Vipond noted that, regardless, the contract is only for one year, when it was originally designed for three years. “We’re literally putting a Band-Aid on this. If this were a three-year contract, I don’t think (the cities) would sign.”

Troy Johnson noted that meeting with the cities wouldn’t be about negotiating the current contract. “They don’t feel like they’re being heard. They don’t feel like they were heard going into the ‘27 contract. So, why would we just keep doing the same thing over and over?”

After rejecting Elbow Lake’s offer, the board voted to set a formula for a loaded rate for law enforcement. The loaded rate is calculated by taking the operating budget, adding building/hours available per officer, and multiplying by the number of licensed officers.

Ken Johnson made a motion to approve the rate, with Board Chair Dwight Walvatne seconding. Both voted in favor, with Troy Johnson and LaValley voting against. Without Sperr present to break the tie, the vote failed 2-2.

With an extra Tuesday in September, there will be a long break between regular meetings than usual. The next meeting of the Grant County Board of Commissioners will be Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 9 a.m.