County considers plan for three year levy increase

There was a meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 15. The following discussion and action items occurred during Tuesday’s meeting. 

Assistant Attorney resigns
Among the first action items taken by the board was to accept the resignation of Assistant Cook County Attorney Jeanne Monson. In a letter dated Aug. 10, Monson submitted her resignation to lead County Attorney Molly Hicken, Monson said she “was humbled to have been part of a team that works so hard to serve the community.” The County Board accepted the resignation of the assistant county attorney with regret.
 
Revolving Loan
Also Tuesday, a request came before the county board to forgive a portion of a loan provided to the local entity Cook County Higher Education. The request from High Ed. was a request to pay off $50,000 of their loan. The request from Higher Ed. to pay off that portion of their loan would leave a balance of $3,270. That latter amount will be forgiven or no longer owed under the approval from the county board, which indeed they agreed to on Tuesday.

The original loan amount was for $75,000.

Commissioner Bobby Deschampe said he was against the idea of forgiving a portion of the debt or loan owed by Higher Ed, saying it could be viewed as others who receive funding from the revolving loan committee as favoritism or unfair. Deschampe cited a pervious motion in the meeting to provide funding to local resident Odin Jorgenson in the amount $55,000.

Commissioner Myron Burshiem clarified that Jorgenson was asking for a loan, not requesting for forgiveness on anything owed to the county.
 
Budget Discussion
And budget discussion was again a lengthy talking point during the most recent meeting of the commissioners. County Administrator Jeff Cadwell provided an update on the budget to the commissioners, with a focus on the general/reserve fund the county maintains. Cadwell said topics such as discretionary or non-mandated funding will be an area to focus on as the 2018 budget and levy become more relevant and eventually set. Non-mandated funding includes local organizations and services that receive funding from the county, including the Senior Center, Art Colony, WTIP and more than a dozen other local entities. Cutting non-mandated funding will likely be another topic during budget discussions this year, as it was in 2016 while this year’s county budget and overall levy were set. Commissioner Heidi Doo Kirk said on Tuesday that no new requests should be considered for non-mandated sources. Currently there is a request from at least one non-mandated source for an increase of more than $73,000 over what they were provided by the county in 2017. 

“I want our non-mandated to be treated the same as staff, and we continually ask staff to make cuts or reductions during the budget process,” Doo Kirk said.

Commissioner Myron Bursheim asked if staff cuts would be considered in 2018 as a means to lower the overall levy. At this point, Cadwell explained, that is not something being considered.

Meanwhile, Cadwell said there is some good news with regard to the budget and levy discussion this year. For the last two years the levy started at approximately 28 percent and eventually worked its way down from there. This year, that initial figure is not only lower, but there could be a distribution of the overall levy impact spread over three years rather than just a year-by-year basis.

As reported to the county board on Tuesday, the budget committee has suggested for three year subsequent increases of 15, 14 and 13 percent increases on the levy over the next three years as one option to maintain services the county provides at their current level. Another option could be increases of 19.9, 13.9 and 8.9 percent.

Board Chair Jan Sivertson said both of these scenarios would maintain county services at their current level. Any further reduction on the levy would mean a reduction on services the county offers.

Commissioner Bobby Deschampe said it comes down to going through the budget and determining what is essential and fair to local taxpayers.

During Tuesday’s meeting Deschampe said: “I listen to the people that elected me, the people on the street, the residents of Cook County and what they are saying.”

Cadwell said the fact the preliminary levy is likely to start at 15 or 20 percent this year shows preemptive planning is already in place with respect to the levy and 2018 budget for the county.

A final budget for 2018 for Cook County will be completed in December.
 
Lutsen housing
And finally from Tuesday’s meeting, the county board heard an update and a request for a conditional use permit regarding a workforce housing project in Lutsen. Cook County Land Services Administrator Bill Lane said the planning commission voted in July on a 5-1 vote to approve a conditional use permit for 16 workforce housing units in Lutsen.

This project has been reported on extensively here on WTIP, and more stories on this topic can be found on the WTIP website by searching for “Lutsen Housing Project.” Administrator Lane said that staff directive is to help property owners walk through the required permitting process to develop their property while maintaining standards that protect resource quality and property values. There are still several conditions that need to be met in order to fulfill the permit, including completing wetland mitigation and working with MnDOT on access control to Highway 61.
 
And listen below for more county news and to hear an interview with Cook County Commissioner Myron Bursheim about Tuesday’s meeting.