The Sherburne County Board Tuesday certified the 2015 tax levy in the amount of $42,323,421, which represents a 2.18% hike over the 2014 levy of $41,420,261.
Part of that increase will be offset by a cut in the county’s Regional Rail Authority levy, which will fall from $1,792.100 to $1,649,264.
The overall levy impact will be an increase of 1.76%. It is the first net levy increase by the county in five years.
A drop in non-levy revenues is the biggest reason for the increase, as actual expenditures will be lower by more than $2 million in 2015.
The county’s expenditure budget, including the Regional Rail Authority was $80,106,323 in 2014. That drops to $77,942,020 next year.
Public works will be spending more than $2 million less in 2015. But state and federal aid revenues will be $2,282,257 lower in 2015.
Non-levy support is also down in Health & Human Services ($110,916); the recorder’s office ($168,455); IT department ($86,174) and law enforcement ($63,086). The county will also not receive $350,000 that Great River Energy was paying in lieu of taxes for the past five years.
The final levy was lower than the preliminary levy that approved in September by the board. That levy had a proposed 2.5% increase.
Landfill Amendments
The board approved an amendment to the county’s host fee agreement with Vonco II, adding language to address the possibility that new fees would be added in the future by the legislature that apply to construction and demolition debris or industrial solid waste.
The board approved an amendment to the host fee agreement with Elk River Landfill that includes fees for construction and demolition debris and industrial solid waste in the same amounts as the agreement with Vonco from 2015 to 2023.
Other Business
In other action the board:
•Approved an agreement with Central MN Jobs & Training to provide services under the Minnesota Family Investment Program and the Diversionary Work Program using grant dollars;
•Approved a two-year update to the county’s telephone contract with CenturyLink that reduces the monthly rate from $1,250 to $800;
• Set the 2015 mileage reimbursement rate at $57.5 per mile, the current rate allowed by the IRS;
•Approved a one-year contract with Greater MN Family Services to provide family-based services in the Health & Human Services Dept.;
•Approved a contract for $192,000 with Strategic Equipment, Inc. for the jail kitchen improvement project.
