On September 10, the Big Lake Twp. electorate approved the tax levy for 2026 at their reconvened annual meeting. Minnesota townships are required to hold an annual meeting in March where residents of the township may directly approve (or disapprove) their budget and tax levy for the next calendar year. Big Lake Twp. residents voted to table the decision and reconvene the meeting in September, to give the treasurer more time to work on the budget. 

Treasurer Ken Warneke said that he didn’t make any changes to the bottom line since his presentation of the draft budget in March, though some funds were reallocated from the fire fund to the general fund. 

In total, the township’s levy decreased 0.52% from last year, being set at $2,673,000. The electorate assembled approved the amount for 2026.

After the approval of the levy, the board continued with their regular meeting.

Sheriff’s Report

Sgt. Barett gave the report for the Sheriff’s Dept. for the month of August. He reported an incident where a driver struck several items, including mailboxes, before leaving the scene. The driver was later apprehended. He also noted a minor property damage incident with another vehicle, and a rear-ending. Barett reported that these all appeared to be due to driver error rather than dangerous intersections.

Hudson Woods Expansion

The township was presented with a proposal for a second addition to the Hudson Woods development. The development would be off of 201st Ave. NW. It would include 175 lots. The board looked over the information sent by the developer but made no comment.

Roads Update

Supervisor Dean Brenteson said they would be looking into scheduling a road tour and completing some seal-coating projects yet this fall.

Business from the Board

Supervisor Mark Hedstrom reported that the Big Lake Community Education was seeing a significant decrease in participation in adult programs, so they are teaming up with Becker and Monticello to increase participation in classes.

Community ed is looking to spend down some of their fund balance by helping to make some long-time wishes around campus happen, including fulfilling needs of youth sports.

The school’s special election is November 4. Early voting will begin September 19.

Supervisor Bruce Aubol noted that he bought some new sign posts for the river access area, which will go up soon. He shared his belief that the old posts were pulled up and sent down the river.

Brenteson reported that he recently attended a meeting with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDoT) regarding a pavement rehabilitation project on Hwy. 10 through Big Lake. The project is currently in the design phase. MNDoT is currently planning to redesign intersections, creating some J-turns, and there may be other changes. They are seeking input from the local municipalities, including the township, city, and county.