The Todd County Board of Commissioners approved a 2009 budget that froze overall county spending at 2008 levels and, once again, held their own salaries to just over $19,000 per year.

As part of the budget the commissioners did raise the salaries of other elected officials by two percent in January and another two percent in July; altogether the four elected department heads will get about a 3.6 percent annual increase.

The salary increases were made based on a previous labor agreement with the elected officials.

Commissioner Kircher, who voted against the raises, said that the county is in difficult times and that he wished the elected officials had stepped forward and requested a wage freeze similar to that taken by the commissioners. Kircher said that freezing the wages of the elected offi- cials would save the county a significant amount. This year the total increase for the four elected department heads would amount to approximately $12,670.

Kircher used a figure of $140,000 that could be saved if the County Board were to freeze all salaries of nonunion staff (non-union workers and appointed department heads).

County Attorney Rasmussen accused Kircher of grandstanding. He asked Kircher why he waited until the last meeting of the year to bring the subject up. The labor agreement between the elected officials and the county has been in force for more than a year.

The county attorney will now earn $87,600.48 per year. The sheriff has been bumped to $74,968.07. The county auditor-treasurer will now earn $68,021.57 and the recorder will earn $64,104.01 in 2010.

County Administrator Nathan Burkette, who is appointed and was hired a little over a year ago, received an approximately $10,000 pay increase. He will now receive $80,134.00 per year.

Cost cutting measures

In effort to control costs the commissioners agreed to establish a centralized motor pool for use by county employees. Administrator Burkett is to draw up policies for the motor pool and bring them before the commissioners by Feb. 2. Part of the policy will be to not reimburse mileage expenses to employees to drive personally owned vehicles if county owned vehicles are available. Burkett said he expects the motor pool to save the county approximately $50,000 per year.

The commissioners also approved Burkett’s recommendation to establish a centralized purchasing department. Burkett’s office will administer a centralized purchasing effort for items that are common to most departments. Items such as heavy equipment, medical supplies and other items that are specific to individual departments will continue to be purchased by department managers.

Commissioner’s clerk

Beginning in 2010 the administrator’s office will take over the responsibilities of keeping the minutes of county board meetings. Staff from the administrator’s office will also take on the general duties of clerk to the county board. The county auditor’s office has been responsible for serving as clerk to the board for more than a quarter century.

The commissioners thanked Karen Busch, the current auditor-treasurer, for her service as clerk to the board.

Staples railroad

depot

The Staples Historical Society received approval from the board for the Todd County Highway Department to be their fiscal agent if the society receives a $404,000 federal Transportation Enhancement Act grant to renovate the Staples Northern Pacific depot. The federal government requires the county to act as fiscal agent because Staples is a town of less than 5,000 population.

The Staples Historical Society applied for a similar grant last year but did not receive the funds. Commissioner Blessing said there are limited funds available for such projects. Staples Historical Society

SHS secretary Tom Crawford said that only one of the three applicants received funding last year. The SHS must provide a match the federal funds with a 20 percent.

In other matters, the county board:

o APPROVED Administrator Burkett’s recommendation to continue the current policy of allowing taxpayers whose tax bill is more than $50 to divide their bill into two partial payments.

o APPROVED a clean out of two lateral ditches to County Ditch 19 in Ward and Reynolds townships over the objection of Marvin Cole who said that state statutes do not require all landowners that benefit from Ditch 19 to pay for the partial clean out of the ditch. County Ditch Inspector Nancy Uhlenkamp said that Cole was misinterpreting the statute.

The estimated cost of the cleanout is $27,800.

o ADAPTED the revised County Comprehensive plan as a guide and not as an ordinance.

o APPOINTED Dr. Quinn Strobl, of Anoka County, as the Todd County Medical Examiner for 2010. Commissioner Neumann expressed concern over the cost of $72,000.