County levy is lowest increase in 6 years

“I am proud of the work all county departments have done to finalize the 2019 budget,” Carlton County board chairwoman Sue Zmyslony said Dec. 26 at the final board meeting of 2018. “We started with a projected 9.83-percent levy increase at the beginning of work on the budget but have now set the levy increase at 2.98 percent.”

A total of $27,429,683 will be levied in Carlton County property taxes for 2019. The 2.98 percent increase is the lowest in the last six years, when increases ranged from 3.48 percent in 2016 to a high of 4.95 percent in 2015.

Savings were realized in several areas:

• Insurance savings from carrier Blue Cross Blue Shield of $384,073 was a big factor in reducing the possible levy increase.

• A $140,000 reduction in county funding for animal control came with the closure of the Friends of Animals Humane Society.

• A combined effort by the Carlton County sheriff, zoning, and public health and human services departments resulted in budget reductions of $181,930 in the last three months of budget work.

• An agreement to sell the Shaw Building to the Carlton County Historical Society for $1 reduced county funding to CCHS by $12,000 for lost property taxes because the building was not sold to a private entity. Increased savings to the county will come from CCHS taking over the maintenance of the historic building, which was constructed as a library for Cloquet in 1921.

• The Arrowhead Regional Corrections will ask for $13,427 less this new budget period.

Fund balances throughout the county departments lowered the property tax impact even more.

As interest rates rise, the county is expected to receive $120,000 more interest income on its reserves.

The board also took care of many year-end tasks.

It set a new salary for a commissioners at $23,679, which reflects a 2.8 percent wage increase in line with the Social Security increase. Per diem rates of $60 for county meetings and $75 for meetings outside the county was set. Per diems for county commissions, boards, and committees remained the same.

Salaries were set for the other elected officials:

• County Auditor/Treasurer - $107,576

• County Attorney - $115,019

• County Sheriff - $107,576

• County Coordinator Dennis Genereau explained the increases.

“Even with these changes, the salaries [for elected officials] are not as high as in surrounding counties,” he said. “The county attorney salary has been figured at 75 hours in a two-week period. But in reality, an active county attorney can spend up to 100 hours during that work period when the caseload calls for it.”

William Hayden continues as county surveyor with $15,000 available to locate, mark, and register the county’s section corners to assist in day-to-day surveying operations.

A total of 86.65 acres of rural, vacant land located in Cloquet is being considered by the U.S. Department of the Interior to be put in trust for the Fond du Lac Band in an effort to restore tribal lands secured by the Treaty of 1854. The acreage brings in $1,854 in property taxes. The Secretary of the Interior will make the final decision. Other than to provide information to the federal government, the county board is not part of the decision making process.

A letter to the county board from the city of Carlton described the progress being made to upgrade the city water system and extend service to the Carlton Junction area. The underground tanks are installed and a well has been drilled. A new water treatment plant will be constructed in South Terrace, by the tennis courts. Additional funding, perhaps from the State Bonding Bill, would be needed to bring water to the Carlton Junction.

County Coordinator Genereau estimated the cost to the county to bring water to the courthouse and Transportation Building and make available a stub to start service into the County Land to the east of the Transportation Building at $3-3.5 million.

“But this would make it possible to use the land for economic development,” Genereau said. “We will see how this all develops.”