4 percent tax

hike OK'd by

Brown County

commissioners

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Brown County commissioners voted for a 4 percent tax hike Tuesday morning.

The county's final levy is roughly $8.2 million. It will take effect on Jan. 1.

The board went into Tuesday's meeting with a $8.4 million levy. Two motions were made during the board's discussion. Commissioner James Berg made the first motion to reduce the levy to a 3.75 percent increase, but that motion died for lack of a second.

Commissioner Richard Seeboth offered a 4 percent increase, which was adopted with a 3-2 vote with Berg and Andrew Lochner dissenting.

The property tax levy decrease requires Brown County to use $108,944 of its reserves. The original levy would not have used any reserves if it had been passed.

This year's budget marks an increase for most of the county's spending categories except for two -- Family Services and Public Health. Many of the categories that are receiving increases in 2005 saw spending cuts in 2004.

The 2005 budget will mark a increase of 2 percent over 2004.

The budget gives the largest spending increase to the Road and Bridge category, raising spending by 10.1 percent.

General government spending, such as county department head's salaries, capital improvements and bond debt services, made Brown County's second-largest jump -- a 6.7 percent increase.

County spending on culture and recreation received a 5.4 percent increase, thereby boosting appropriations to non-profit groups like Minnesota Valley Action Council and the Brown County Humane Society and funding for the county park fund and the Brown County Economic Development Partners.

Conservation of natural resources, such as water planning, wetlands administration and the Brown County Soil and Water Conservation District, will receive a 4.2 percent spending increase.

Spending on public safety, such as emergency services, probation and the county jail, will increase by 3.1 percent in 2005.

Public Health will receive the largest spending cut in 2005 with spending decreasing by 4.3 percent, followed by human services, which will get a 3.7 percent cut.

State property tax aids are up by 59.8 percent, accounting for the largest jump in income for next year. Interest on county investments is also expected to increase by 14.8 percent in 2005.

Income from local governmental contracts, such as the county's public health nursing and Family Services contracts with schools and the City of New Ulm's portion of the debt for the Brown County Law Enforcement Center, is expected to rise by 11.7 percent.

The tax levy is a modest increase -- 4 percent. The Mobile Home Property Tax is only expected to rise by 3.6 percent.

With the exception of this year, in which the overall county budget fell by 3.5 percent, Brown County's financial blueprint has risen by roughly 2 percent annually for the past five years.

The property tax levy has grown slightly faster -- an average of 3.72 percent during the same time period.

The county board approved the county's supplemental budgets -- representing an additional $1.13 million in revenue and roughly $1 million in extra spending.

Commissioners also designated another $2 million to the county's revenue fund, Family Services and Road and Bridge funds for "cash flow purposes" and designated a total of $78,000 for "vested comp accruals" and technology improvements.

The commissioners voted on the county's elected official salaries.

* County Recorder -- $61,000 per year, a 3.48 percent increase.

* County Sheriff -- $71,300 per year, a 4.85 percent increase.

* County Auditor/Treasurer -- $64,050 per year

* County Highway Engineer -- $81,000 per year, a 3.4 percent increase.

* Family Services Director -- $78,000 per year, a 3.3 percent increase.

* County Administrator -- $77,000 per year, a 3.8 percent increase.

* County Commissioners -- $17,800 per year ($18,300 for board chair) and $70 per diem, not including regular county board meetings.

In other news, the Brown County Board of Commissioners:

* Reviewed and approved the Highway Department's five-year road and bridge construction program with a unanimous vote.

County Administrator Chuck Enter said county officials will review the plan and could make changes based on the availability of funding.

As it now stands, the plan will mainly focus on maintaining blacktop road surfaces from 2005 to 2009, but will also include many bridge replacements, shoulder widening and overlay work. The plan presented to the board calls for a total of $7.6 million in regular state aid, $410,000 in municipal state aid, $2.6 million in federal funding, $420,000 in township bridge funding and $845,000 in bonding.