Board sets levy, taxes

WALKER The Cass County Board set the 2008 levy and budget Tuesday and approved 2008 salaries.

The board set the 2008 levy at $19,235,431 or 7.82 percent higher than 2007. But the tax rate used for calculating county property taxes actually will be 2.773 percent less in 2008 because new construction and rising property values on lakeshore properties are expected to share more of the tax cost in 2008. The tax rate drops from 36.024 percent to 33.251 percent.

In 2007, there were 1,700 parcels reporting new construction worth $5,000 or more in Cass County.

Not all county taxpayers will share all of the $19 million cost. The state requires the county to report $400,000 that is levied only within the Longville Ambulance Service District as a part of the county's total levy.

The budget calls for $49,367,845 in revenues and $49,483,105 in expenditures, with the difference being paid from the county's fund balance. The county's actual budget in 2007 was $45,435,151.

Expenditures are expected to be made from the following funds: $17,277,847 general revenue, $4,196,500 self insurance, $10,206,782 road and bridge, $14,109,535 health human veterans services, $284,000 capital projects, $235,000 unorganized township, $2,832,800 land department, $20,000 environmental trust and $320,641 Kitchigami Library.

The board approved, contingent upon employees voting to support their union's tentative approval, a 3 percent annual wage increase package for each of the next three years, plus a step increase each July for members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees who work in the courthouse and health, human and veterans services; for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 highway department employees; and Teamsters Local 346 sheriff's dispatchers. Only the Local 49 membership has voted to approve at this point.

Still in negotiations are three-year proposed contracts for Teamsters Local 320 assistant attorneys unit and Teamsters Local 320 deputies and jailers unit. The deputies and jailers unit has voted not to approve a contract similar to those AFSCME and Local 49 union representatives supported.

The tentative agreements reached will eliminate for the first time from Cass County wage contracts health and life insurance coverage for retirees, starting with anyone employed by the county Jan. 1, 2008, or later. Current retirees do participate in the county insurance program after retirement.

The contracts will add a new $100 annual clothing allowance for all employees to purchase only Cass County logo apparel for work-related attire. Union positions previously covered with a clothing allowance will receive a $100 per year allowance increase.

Non-union county employees will receive a 3 percent wage increase, plus step increases based on additional years of service in July and the same insurance and retirement benefits as union employees. All county employees who have reached Step 10 (the top of the scale after 10 years) on the county's wage scale receive instead of step increases an additional 1.5 percent of monthly base wage multiplied by their years of service as longevity pay raises.

The board set elected officials salaries for 2008 at 3 percent higher in January and will give County Recorder Katie Norby an increase from Step 8 to Step 9 in July. The county attorney and sheriff, who are at the top of the wage scale, will receive longevity pay in addition to the base salaries.

County Attorney Earl Maus will earn $8,403 per month. Norby will earn $4,936 until July when her step increase will adjust her wages to $5,085 per month. Sheriff Randy Fisher's 2008 wage will be $7,248 per month.

The board declined to set new wages for Assistant County Attorney Christopher Strandlie, whom the board has named to succeed Maus as county attorney, until after the board receives a letter of resignation from Maus. Maus is expected to assume a judgeship in March.

The commissioners increased their own wages 3 percent for 2008, shifting their base pay from $23,617.76 a year in 2007 to $24,326.29 in 2008. In addition to a base salary, commissioners receive $75 per meeting per diem on meetings other than the first meeting of each month, the board of equalization, board of auditors or canvassing board.

All people appointed to Cass County committees will receive $75 per meeting attended.