State policy shifts place strain on human services

Brown Countys reviews department’s 2027 budget

NEW ULM -- The Brown County Board of Commissioners reviewed a draft 2027 county budget totaling $50,175,019 and a proposed property tax levy of $21,552,707 during its meeting Tuesday morning at the Brown County Courthouse.

The initial proposal reflects a 9.99 percent increase over the 2026 certified levy.

No final vote was taken. The board scheduled a public hearing on the proposed budget and levy for 6 p.m. Dec. 1 in the District Courtroom.

“The Dec. 1 public meeting is required by state law for truth-in-taxation,” County Administrator Sam Hansen said during the meeting, noting that residents will have the opportunity to offer testimony before final decisions are made.

The proposed levy represents the total amount the county plans to collect from property owners to fund operations. Overall revenue sources for the budget also include state and federal aid, service fees, and other non-tax income.

Hansen presented the draft to the Brown County Commissioners.

If approved as drafted, the $21.5 million levy would support core services across the county, including public safety, highway maintenance, human services, and general operations.

County officials emphasized that initial levy proposals do not establish final tax rates for individual properties. Final property tax statements are calculated later in the year after the county, cities, school districts, and townships certify their individual levies and final property valuations are set by the state. For individual homeowners, tax bill impacts vary based on property classification and valuation changes.

Hansen reported that mid-year operations remain on track, noting revenues through August reached 60.5 percent and expenses stood at 63.3 percent.

“Times are flying, but we’re seeing everything click along in terms of our expectations,” Hansen said.

However, broader financial pressures continue to influence long-term planning. Key cost drivers include state-mandated programs, rising operational expenses, health insurance, staffing needs, and infrastructure maintenance.

Human Services Director Anne Broskoff pointed to state policy shifts as a significant strain on county resources. Addressing legislative changes that shift youth under age 13 away from juvenile detention and into local social services, Broskoff noted that local systems face operational challenges.

“The state does not have the infrastructure in order to respond to those very egregious types of cases,” Broskoff said. “There’s a snowball effect in terms of what we try to do, and that’s just one way that we try to work with families to prevent out-of-home placement.”

Broskoff added that navigating state administrative requirements often create added complexity for county departments.

“It was an aggravating process,” Broskoff said regarding recent state reporting compliance. “Every county has gone through this, and all of our providers have gone through this.”

Commissioners also weighed Brown County’s draft figures against regional benchmarks following recent multi-county updates.

“Nicollet County was at 7%," Borchert said "but the majority of those that talked about how they’re doing it, they’re buying it off with their reserves, which as we all know doesn’t work very well in the long run. You definitely have to stay away from operations, otherwise they’re going to pay for it in the future.”

Braun reiterated concerns regarding unfunded mandates handed down by the state legislature.

“Unfunded mandates are not only concerns from the county perspective here that we keep pushing for, but I think there are some legislators out there that are finally starting to hear that message,” Braun said.

County leadership will continue line-by-line department reviews and work sessions to refine figures prior to the Dec. 1 hearing.

“We have been moving through line by line,” Berg noted.

Residents can view draft documentation on the Brown County website before the public meeting in December.