FAIRMONT– The Martin County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday were faced with setting the preliminary 2025 budget and levy. The board has been chipping away at the budget, bringing down the levy increase from the original amount of 22 percent, to 15.66 percent which it approved on Tuesday.

County Coordinator Scott Higgins reminded the board that there was discussion at the last meeting about some other potential cuts that could bring the levy down to a 13.44 percent increase.

“Maybe that’s the range and there’s something between that (15.66) and 13.44 percent,” Higgins said.

“We’ve cut everything, expect for the justice center,” said Commissioner Elliot Belgard.

He asked whether they’re going to have a number on the new plan for the justice center before the end of the year. Higgins said that that is the expectation.

Commissioner Kathy Smith said that the $420,000 in debt service might not be needed in 2025 and not until 2026.

“That’s why it could come out and not affect the project,” Smith said.

Belgard said that would stick the problem on next year’s board of commissioners.

Higgins asked the board to remember that the 15.66 levy comes with a cut of $500,000 from the budget.

“There’s already $500,000 reduced, an additional $420,00 gets us down to 13.44 percent,” Higgins said.

Smith said she would like to see that $420,000 stay in there for the justice center just in case something happens to provide some more flexibility.

“I hate to see us cut too much,” Smith said.

Belgard agreed that the board could always decide to cut it again in December before the budget is officially approved.

Commissioner Richard Koons took issue with the 15.66 percent levy increase and the tax impact it would have on residents.

“I don’t think anybody here is not looking at the impact on the taxpayers. We’re all feeling the weight on our shoulders,” Smith said.

However she said the majority of the board has decided that it’s time to move forward.

“We’re to the point now that we’ll have a design at the end of the year and a cost estimate at the end of the year,” Smith said.

Belgard pointed out that the timing isn’t great with inflation, but after years of looking at it, he said at some point someone–or some board– is going to have to do it.

Commissioner Jaime Bleess made a motion to go forward with the budget as is, but said he may be the one in December to suggest they lower it.

The motion to certify the budget and levy at a 15.66 percent increase passed 4-1 with Koons opposed. The board will officially approve the 2025 budget and levy at the Truth in Taxation public hearing on Dec. 3.

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, vehicles were a topic of conversation. Jeremy Monahan, Director of Faribault and Martin County Prairie Lakes Transit, asked the board for some temporary funds to help cover the cost of seven new vehicles.

To provide some background, Monahan said in 2021 the Transit Board purchased seven vehicles and none had been delivered until this summer when all seven were delivered at once.

“They were supposed to be spaced out and delivered over the course of a few months because our funding is based on reimbursement plans so we have to pay for the bus before we’re reimbursed our federal and state funding which is either 90 or 100 percent,” Monahan said.

He said the seven vehicles arrived in the same month and now the board needs to pay for them all in the next few weeks.

“The Transit Board itself doesn’t have that kind of cash on hand to pay $704,000 for all seven vehicles, which would be the total cost,” Monahan said.

As per the Transit Board’s suggestion, he asked the board for a short term loan of $100,000 and said the Transit Board will repay each county by the end of the year.

“All we’re doing here is a short term loan to help it. We hoped to not have to do it, but we have to do it,” said Belgard.

He made a motion to grant the short term loan and the motion passed.

County Engineer Kevin Peyman also shared that the new electric truck for the highway department was delivered last week. Peyman reminded the board that the truck was paid with CRP federal funding.

He said a certain amount of money was allowed to each district and the district Martin County is in has 13 counties, but that two counties took the lead. One wrote the grant for seven trucks and one for six trucks.

“They applied for the CRP funding to spend all of our district allotment for that federal grant. It’s was about $360,000 to buy six trucks, one for each county,” Peyman said.

The grant covered about 80 percent of the truck’s cost and Martin County picked up the remainder for its truck which was about $14,000. Peyman noted that there were few color choices so this truck is silver, not yellow like other county trucks.

In other news, the board:

— Approved the renewal of the medical examiner contract with an increase of $250 per autopsy and $150 per external examination, which Chief Deputy Corey Klanderud said brings the total to $3,000 a piece for autopsy and $1,000 for external examination. He said that in 2023 14 autopsies and one external examination were done.

— Reappointed Michael Sheplee as County Assessor for another four year term.

— After a lengthy discussion, passed a resolution to enact amendments to the Martin County Planning and Zoning Ordinance in a 3-2 vote.