County Administrator Bobbie Hillery explained the Truth in Taxation hearing, which was held on December 1, is required by state law. The public hearing is held at 6:30 p.m. to allow more participation from the public. Three members of the public attended the hearing in person. The meeting could be accessed via Webex or telephone.
Hillery began by reviewing 2020. She detailed improvements made including the ongoing process to upgrade software, the replacement of computers that had outdated operating systems, a new ADA compliant website, increased cyber security, and the continued contract with Schneider Geospatial. The county will continue the Local Option Sales Tax and the Wheelage Tax to provide additional revenue for road improvements.
Hillery stressed the board’s efforts to keep the public informed through a public budget process, its website, and its Facebook page. There is a Citizens Input portion of every board meeting for public comment.
During the COVID pandemic, 78% of county staff has been able to work from home. Updating of equipment has allowed staff to work at home and the county to hold virtual meetings. The county has had access to three pots of money: Public Health Grant in the amount of $49,178, the election grant in the amount of $26,343, and the CARES Act funding in the amount of $2,578,859. A total of almost 1.4 million of the CARES funds have been given to schools, businesses, and non-profits. Throughout the pandemic the county has provided services; the only service that was shut down for a short period was Passports.
Every year the county participates in the state’s Performance Measurement Program; it is reimbursed 14 cents per capita for its participation. The county has 13 performance goals. Hillery reviewed the outcomes for 2019. Reduce fatalities and injuries on county and township roads: in 2019 there were three fatalities and in 2018 there were two fatalities on county/township roads and seven fatalities total in Fillmore County.
The county met its goals for a Pavement Quality Index of 72, for tobacco use among adults to the national benchmark, for Child Support Program cost effectiveness (first place in state for cost effectiveness), for percentage of low birth weights (beating state and national percentages), for median ratio between 90% and 105% for three types of assessment ratios, for 10-day turn around time for document recording, for 100% post election results, for increasing by 5% state and federal dollars brought into the county for veterans benefits, for maintaining 85% of veterans receiving services and/or benefits, and for keeping debt service levy under 11%. The county fell short on the number of library visits and in its recycling rate.
Goals in 2021 included maintaining and building the fund balance preparing for possible revenue cuts due to pandemic. The Airport Master Plan is to be implemented this coming year. Citizens Input will continue. The county will work with local and other county governments. It will continue with centralized purchasing to save dollars.
The county Capital Improvement debt will be paid off in 2024. Hillery noted there is a lot of state and federal revenue coming in for highway projects. The preliminary levy for 2021 is up 2.94% to $11,525,822 or $552.37 per capita.
A COLA of 2% has been proposed. Each position, when it becomes vacant, is reviewed with a hire analysis form. Thirty-seven percent of expenditures are related to personnel, benefits and salaries. A Solid Waste position was removed for 2021 due to a reduced revenue stream in that department.
Questions
Duane Bakke asked Assessor Jason McCaslin about valuations or taxable market value on property tax notices sent out last spring compared to those received this fall. Several individuals have approached Bakke explaining that valuations were not the same in the fall as they were in the spring. The value of the property was up on the fall statement. Also, some had a change in the class of property.
McCaslin explained that after market adjustments were made last spring the Minnesota Department of Revenue made its annual review. If valuations are out of compliance, an increase is made by the state board. The Department of Revenue is looking at jurisdictions that are under assessed. These jurisdictions are tagged as not carrying their fair share of the tax burden.
McCaslin was sworn in as the new Fillmore County Assessor on April 28. He said moving forward he will take care that this does not happen again. McCaslin said he didn’t agree with increases happening after valuations are sent out in the spring, but it is an act that is administered by the state. Bakke suggested the state is correcting our mistake.
McCaslin identified three areas where the market value has been adjusted by the state including Rushford Village, Preston, and Lanesboro.
Robert Maust asked why the county doesn’t take advantage of low interest rates, especially while inflation is higher than interest rates. Bakke explained that in the case of Airport improvements the county pays 5% of the total cost; it is a match and we can’t bond for those dollars. He continued, explaining that the option to bond has come up for highway funding. “If we did bond for roads we would use state aid to pay back the bond. The board has never bonded for roads and bridges, but we have discussed the possibility.”
Bakke reported that the budget forecast for the state is quite a bit better than expected. There may not be a big state deficit. The county budgeted for the possibility of reductions in state aid. He noted that revenue from the Local Option Sales Tax is tracking the same or better than last year. This revenue helps with local road improvements.
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