About a dozen property owners attended the public hearing regarding the Fillmore County 2019 budget and levy. County Coordinator Bobbie Vickerman reviewed 2018 county activities and the 2019 proposed budget. One 2018 highlight is the active participation in legislation that resulted in a significant increase in County Program Aid for 2018 and 2019 and a leveling of CPA from … [Read more...]
Chatfield certifies 2019 Levy
City Clerk Joel Young reported on the proposed 2019 budget and levy during the Truth in Taxation hearing at the city council’s December 10 meeting. This will be the council’s last meeting of the year. The city staff budget will cause a tax levy increase of 4.97%; these increases are structural and driven by inflation. The main driver of the tax levy increase for 2019 will be … [Read more...]
Peterson makes a plan for upgraded electrical metering
The City of Peterson has made at least a partial move towards possibly upgrading electric meters. MiEnergy had previously supplied city staff with an estimate of roughly $28,000 to upgrade all meters to electronic reading capabilities. On several instances the council has previously discussed the issue, but hesitated to make any sort of decision, trying to weigh potential … [Read more...]
Harmony Fire Department commissions firefighter memorial statue
Chris Skalen from the Harmony Fire Department was present at the December 11 Harmony City Council meeting to ask the council to approve a down payment on a 70” bronze statue of a firefighter from Brodin Studios, Inc. in Kimball, Minn. The statue will be placed beside the fire station with benches and landscaping to complete the memorial. So far, approximately $52,000 has been … [Read more...]
New vehicles for Mabel
On December 10, the Mabel City Council held a regular city council meeting, which included the annual Truth in Taxation public hearing. Members in attendance included Gary Morken, Liz Folstad, City Clerk Karen Larson, and Kirsten Wyffels. Due to the mayor’s absence, Folstad led the meeting. No citizens were on hand to ask questions during the Truth in Taxation hearing. … [Read more...]
Wykoff to seek new city attorney
The Wykoff City Council met in regular session on November 13, with all council members in attendance: Rocky Vreeman, Mary Tjepkes, Mayor Al Williams, City Clerk Becky Schmidt, Mary Sackett and Richard Gleason. Also attending was Assistant Clerk Luann Hare. An item that generated much discussion was a dispute from Mike Shaw regarding a recent repair charge on his sewer … [Read more...]
Rushford approves final levy; considers depot change, city limitations
At the Monday, December 10 meeting, the Rushford City Council unanimously approved setting the 2019 property tax levy at $936,000. This represents a 2.52% increase over 2018 levy of $913,000. The 2.52% is a net increase, representing a 5.43% decrease in debt service, but a 2.91% increase in operating costs. The $23,000 increase will provide an additional $6,500 to the General … [Read more...]
Lanesboro council approves property tax levy
During the December 3 Lanesboro City Council meeting, the council paused the meeting at 6 p.m. to hold a Truth in Taxation Hearing. After the property tax levy and budget were discussed, the public was invited to speak and to ask questions of the council. There were no questions asked by any residents in attendance. What this means for residents is a property tax increase … [Read more...]
Marin to join Ostrander Council
On December 3, the Ostrander City Council held a regular meeting. Members in attendance included Vernon Thompson, Pam Kunert, Mayor Pat Nesler, and DJ Start. Heidi Jones and City Clerk Wendy Brincks were absent. Because of the resignation of Council member Heidi Jones, the Ostrander Council had a vacancy to fill. The resignation letter from Jones to the city stated, in … [Read more...]
Rushford Village preps for final budget; puts end stamp on project
At the Tuesday, December 4 meeting, the Rushford Village Council conducted the annual Truth in Taxation meeting. No citizens were present with comments. The council has noted there were funding shortfalls in 2018. “We need to take serious consideration of what our budget is, as well as where we are with some of the things we may need,” said Mayor Gordon Johnson. “We did have … [Read more...]