Hubbard County commissioners and department heads have difficult decisions ahead of them regarding budgets due to state imposed levy limits. We hope a compromise can be made to ensure services are provided while limiting tax increases.
We don't envy the decisions that need to be made but understand the importance of both sides. The Hubbard County Board is trying to limit increases for taxpayers while at the same time county department heads are trying to provide services to taxpayers.
County commissioners recently told department heads to limit "growth increases" to 4 percent.
"The big three" department heads have asked for considerably larger increases for their departments: the sheriff, social services director and the county engineer/public works coordinator.
These departments provide important services in the county and finding places in their budgets to trim will be difficult.
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Social Services director Daryl Bessler said he wants to tuck some money away in his reserve fund because case loads continue to increase with the tough economic times. His department has already been dipping into reserve funds for years to keep paying the bills. Maintaining a healthy reserve fund is important and sooner or later the funds could run out if money isn't put back into reserves.
In the highway department, limiting the increase will most likely mean fewer new road construction projects. County engineer Dave Olsonawski said the department won't skimp on maintenance by trimming its levy request. But new construction is also important and eventually these projects will need to be done.
The sheriff's department has also been asked to limit its growth increase.
Sheriff Gary Mills' budget requests were for extra staff, rising fuel costs and court security, which has been thrust on the department from outside areas.
It is particularly difficult to save on gas, for example, because deputies still need to be out patrolling the county. And the Minnesota Department of Corrections has mandates on inmate-to-officer ratios. There is only so much Mills can trim from his budget.
The state is partly to blame for the difficult situation at the county level.
The Legislature imposed 3.9 percent levy limits on counties and cities to control growth. But it's difficult when counties are told to limit spending yet are still required to provide state-mandated services.
Something needs to change. We hope commissioners and department heads can reach a compromise on spending for this next year. We also hope something will be changed at the state level because soon there won't be anywhere left to cut.
