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Commissioners to host 2023 levy public meeting

NEW ULM — Brown County Commissioners will host a public meeting on the 2023 proposed budget and levy at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13 in the Third Floor District Courtroom.

Anyone wishing to speak at the public meeting can come to the podium and give their name and address before speaking.

Department heads will be present to address budget questions specific to department staffing and programs. This is not a property valuation meeting. Those meetings are held in the spring.

Market value questions can be addressed to the Brown County Assessor’s Department by calling 507-233-6606.

Brown County’s 2023 preliminary tax levy was set at a 7.74% increase over 2022. The levy increase is $1,139.589, from $14,721,089 to $15,860,678. The total budget would decrease 2.68%, from $43,173,583 to $42,016,741.

Brown County ranks as one of Minnesota counties with the lowest 2021 levy per capita at $573.04, 12th lowest of 87 counties.

Significant 2023 budget changes:

• Fuel up $130,000 from 2022.

• While county program aid increased, other reimbursements decreased. Highway funding is down 7%, at least $434,000.

• Budget increases include wages, insurance, supplies, goods and equipment.

Ongoing citizen input opportunties include citizen committees, the Sheriff Citizens Academy, county website/social media, county board meetings, Journal department updates, open houses, informational meetings and department booths at the county fair and other events.

At a 4:30 p.m. regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 13, commissioners will consider continuing a legal services agreement with the Rinke Noonan law firm of St. Cloud. On behalf of the Brown County Drainage Committee, Brown County Auditor-Treasurer Kelly Hotovec recommends continuing the services agreement using proposal option 2, hourly services only.

For generic drainage issues, the billing would be applied to all of the drainage systems based on normal allocation. For issues specific to a drainage system, costs would be coded to that particular system. In 2022, expenses of $914 were incurred.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@

nujournal.com).

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