WALKER - Administrator Robert Yochum informed the county board Tuesday that he has asked department heads to present revised operating plans in light of state legislative action taken this year.
Commissioner Jim Demgen said the county could be facing a $500,000 to $1 million shortfall. Yochum said this could mean a 7 percent reduction in county employees.
The state's 2008 tax bill that Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed last week set 3.9 percent local property tax levy limit increases for each of the next three years.
Cass has three-year employee wage contracts calling for annual 3 percent wage increases, plus annual step increases for employees who continue in their same job position. Those steps amount to about an additional 3 percent annually.
The county board has had a moratorium on hiring new employees or replacing permanent employees since the first of the year. An exception was made for part-time seasonal help.
Health, Human and Veterans Services Director Dorothy Opheim on Tuesday asked the board to consider allowing her to fill two vacancies on her staff. There has been a vacant .7 full-time equivalent public health nurse position since December. At that time, there were not qualified applicants. There are now applicants, but she has not been able to fill the position because of the hiring freeze.
She also has a vacant social worker position due to a recent retirement. Both positions are partially reimbursable from state/federal funds, she said.
The board referred her requests to the committee considering the county's overall financial position in light of state cuts and funding limits placed on counties.
Yochum said the state tax bill had a provision that permits counties to waive maintenance of effort and matching fund payments, but state officials have informed him there will be legislation proposed in 2009 to place penalties on any county taking advantage of the loophole.
Through the first one-third of this year, Cass spent 28.89 percent of the HHVS budget. Out-of-home child placement costs ran 26 percent of the anticipated budget for the first third of the year.
Also, Cass County emergency services and health services personnel will participate in an emergency drill June 24 to work on how medical services would be provided in the event of a major disaster or infectious disease outbreak.
Marlee Morrison, public health nurse, has designed the Cass County response program in cooperation with Emergency Services Director Kerry Swenson. Brainerd would serve as the regional distribution center. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School would serve as the local county distribution center.
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