2009 Year in Review for Isanti County
Perspectives from Commissioner Duff
As I look back on 2009, I wanted to share some of the accomplishments that were made, as well as reflect on the tasks still before our county.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2009
1. Established a Balanced Budget for 2010
The 2010 budget was very challenging as we had to cut approx. $2M from initial budget requests to balance a budget with no tax levy increases on the tax payers of Isanti County. Two primary factors for this were a 3% increase in employee salaries per union contracts that were established a few years ago, as well as LGA cuts from the State. I believe the entire county board and many staff deserve a lot of credit for balancing our budget.
At our preliminary tax levy vote in September, a 1.7% increase was approved that I had voted against (passed 3-1 with Duff opposed and one commissioner absent). My reasoning was that this was a very challenging time for many to pay increased taxes in the midst of our unemployment and foreclosure problems. In addition, most neighboring communities also had zero tax increases. I was pleased that a net zero tax increase for 2010 was passed unanimously by the board on December 28 at the final budget meeting.
2. Increased Transparency and Accountability
Below are some of the key steps taken in 2009 to increase transparency and accountability in Isanti County:
· Began audio recording board meetings for the benefit of those who can not attend (over 10,000 hits throughout 2009)
· I hosted 4 town hall meetings in Bradford and Isanti that were attended by over 100 concerned citizens and business leaders (Thanks everyone for your input!)
· 2010 will include four night board meetings for those who want to be involved in county government but are unable to make morning meetings
· Stopped an attempt to make EDA meetings private in violation of the Open Meeting Law
SETBACKS
The following are my personal opinions of the bigger setbacks from 2009:
· The Comprehensive Plan was passed with still no completed ordinances
· A County Great Yard Award program was not allowed to go forward after the private sector had already agreed to pay $1,000 in funding support and numerous volunteers established the program scope
· No Roberts Rules established (except for EDA meetings)
PRIORITIES FOR 2010
Below are some of the top priorities for 2010:
· Budget will likely be even more difficult than this past year, requiring us to more proactively plan and manage limited resources, including preparations for providing services without state LGA funds
· Need to establish a Long Term Financial Plan to help guide decisions that are best for the county, both short and long term
· Economic development that brings jobs to our county will continue to be a very high priority
APPRECIATION FOR KEY ADVISERS
Finally, I want to personally thank my appointees to the various boards. These women and men provide tremendous insights and perspective to a range of issues and their commitment is greatly appreciated. My 2010 appointees include:
· Planning Commission: John Reno and Sean Stevens
· Park & Recreation Board: Kathie Madsen and Ed White
· County EDA: Tim Swanson
· Board of Adjustment: Tom Fornberg
· UofM Extension Board: Dee Ann Oslund
· Human Rights Commission: Kimberly Horst
· Public Health Commission: Joe Crocker
· Water Management Plan Task Force (pending approval): Kameron Kytonen
Response to August 18 Commissioner Meeting
Read the article in the Isanti-Chisago County Star.
Since requesting budget cuts at our August 18 county board meeting (budget discussion starts 43:08 minutes into the meeting audio), I have been asked many good questions by Isanti County residents. Below are those questions as well as my responses.
1. Is it normal for Commissioners to collect mileage for attending regular board meetings?
I have not heard of this before. Isanti County employees do NOT get reimbursed mileage for driving to their office and I believe elected officials should be no different.
2. When was a zero percent raise agreed upon by the Commissioners: I looked at past meeting minutes and could not find that action anywhere?
The Isanti County Board had not “officially” agreed to a zero percent raise until the August 18 board meeting.
3. Why did you ask for these reductions now instead of later?
The sooner we make cuts, the quicker we save. Other local governmental bodies across Minnesota have agreed to similar actions over the past few months. For example, Ramsey County Commissioners voted on a wage freeze in May. - Star Tribune Article, MinnPost.com Article.
4. How does Isanti County per diem rates compare with other counties?
Isanti County per diem rates are $75 for out-of-county meetings and $60 for in-county meetings. Neighboring Chisago County rates are $60 and $50 respectively, and they have a cap of $22,000 per year in per diems for the entire county board. Below is a comparison of salaries and per diems for Isanti County and Chisago County:
Isanti County* Chisago County*
Base Salary $27,013 $27,419
Per Diem (Avg)** $ 6,000 $ 4,000
Total Compensation $33,013 $31,419
*July 2008 US Census Bureau population is 39,105 for Isanti County and 50,257 for Chisago County.
**Per diem is an average per Commissioner. Chisago County caps their per diem total for all five Commissioners at $22,000 and spends significantly less than this. Isanti County per diem expenses for 2008 were approximately $30,000.
Alan Duff swears in as Isanti County Commissioner on January 6, 2009.
Commissioner Duff will be holding town-hall open houses to meet with the public on Tuesday, February 3 from 6:00 to 6:45 pm at Isanti City Hall and on Monday, February 9 from 6:00 to 6:45 pm at Bradford Town Hall.
Isanti County Commissioner Results
November 4, 2008
The results are in from both Bradford Township and the City of Isanti and the votes are: Alan Duff, 1,924 and Gail Genin, 1,648. I would like to thank my supporters, including my family and friends for their tremendous support throughout this campaign. As District 3 County Commissioner, I will work hard to achieve the goals I have established for our County. Thank you everyone for your support and I look forward to serving the residents and businesses of Isanti County for the next 4 years!
Alan Duff
Isanti County Commissioner Elect, District 3
“Duff said he doesn’t believe the role of local government is to support charitable organizations. He said while there are good charitable organizations out there, he doesn’t feel it’s the role of the taxpayers to support them.”
Isanti County News
September 3, 2008