[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6169464,"mediaKeyId","5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92","parentId",5404181,"title","Soil and Water Conservation District requests modest budget increase as state grants decline","audioSeconds",1283,"startMs",3883000,"endMs",5166000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92&start=3883&end=5166","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92/thumbnail_3883000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6169464/Clay-County/Minnesota/Soil-and-Water-Conservation-District-requests-modest-budget-increase-as-state-grants-decline","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169464-dce3aa193e6917b4b8c4c23563a4049b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770604701&Signature=oC4IpPut~ZXZamr2R-2fXlERNm5886aFX34NXDkNT7jjpBAE3y1Prqyo-H9hqjQnoMjQf5gpMpY4~-NPiIZMLeDhoH0eMNtQZZ7nXlcRNAm3RpPC0EG60GyLR3fJaAV-S9Nkw2Yum-U6~DsiWHozzZK4a2PmkZaXBdZvQPQORSpoJkXSUd5iwFxrgp0~kc~-ZJ1UR~J8hjLySFSbwWKkAuiqAmylzvmUw1DJDu5weBDMtUISDNXLUg15Yep6dC8Zhu9E2rewyUlCt1L-YIdUl412FzeWakVFhipPTXXrCkzkogG4Cr4IgaAaYR9SkB24bvnA45WIzT3ZN3mHP-XdOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Clay County, MN","date","2025-07-15T18:10:07Z","article","Kevin (Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor) and staff presented the district’s 2026 budget request on Tuesday, asking the county to support a modest increase as several state grant lines contract.
Kevin said the district included a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment and modeled a 10% increase in health‑insurance costs for 2026. He told commissioners that some state grant lines that had been temporarily increased in the 2023–24 biennium are expected to revert, producing an estimated $13,000 reduction in state grant revenue for the district; SWCD aid that stepped up to $15 million statewide in 2023 is projected to shrink to $12 million, costing the district about $36,000 in aid under current estimates.
The district also reported a reduction in fee income: tree program sales and no‑till drill rentals have softened, and a $100,000 no‑till drill purchase earlier (50% paid with a state grant) affects the capital posture. District staff said the office has experienced higher than usual turnover recently — roughly one‑third of staff resigned in the past seven months — and the district is pausing on hiring a replacement until economic conditions clarify.
Kevin said the district aims to maintain roughly a three‑to‑four‑month reserve now and prefers to hold to an internal goal of about six months of reserves; he described the request as a 2.3% overall increase in the county allocation to cover salaries, benefits and modest program needs.
Commissioners thanked the district for long‑running programs — tree plantings, no‑till drill rentals, conservation outreach — and encouraged staff to work with the auditor’s office on clarifying reserve balances and prior year audit results before final decisions.
The board did not take action Tuesday; county staff said they would include the district request in the preliminary budget package and return with comparative data.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Clay County MN Board of Commissioners 7/15/25","oneSentenceSummary","Soil and Water Conservation District leaders told the county their budget request includes a 2.3% increase driven by salary and benefit assumptions (3% COLA and 10% health‑insurance), declining state grant lines and reduced fee income for tree and drill programs.","taxTitle","Clay County, Minnesota","taxId",56510,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6169469,"County staff outline preliminary 2026 levy showing double‑digit increase before policy adjustments",725,8320000,9045000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92&start=8320&end=9045","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92/thumbnail_8320000.jpg","/articles/6169469/Clay-County/Minnesota/County-staff-outline-preliminary-2026-levy-showing-doubledigit-increase-before-policy-adjustments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169469-9b6941a98050311aa5bcf7a769521c71/orig.mp4?Expires=1770604701&Signature=TcJElUHETQGcXmmzsqKfl74JCb8MEkgq9ktmwzdtswZDTZnWPC4sml9b7wMMgeJIn~p0jmCZnwsQr3jAzPxgr6SITjuluCEB3X5JYvNFNQOzSgVjZzYNiGYX70Q6ETuf4-HZqbTF6orROYKYy2iyIyePZi-7LsxTDBflj43Vh66rABoEBMXR5cA-M1CXZxM6pAm~zIJqZUw9jvl2tLrpeogkT0c0dudcW7eMtQpRRn-1XHGjHLR4omtSwRDdb4eZAQZISAn321TTd3~OnTMIQkIlrPT8zgOyXX0olNcjpuxloSOaypDi36m9MYWzvWVhcQm06iF34nZxQNV~EnY-pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Clay County administrators presented a first look at the county’s 2026 preliminary levy on Tuesday, warning commissioners that current projections show a double‑digit increase before policy choices and revenue decisions.
Staff said the main drivers of the preliminary figures are employee step increases and cost‑of‑living adjustments, the cost of new paid‑medical‑leave obligations (the county modeled a 0.44% employer share), health‑insurance uncertainty, and several departmental internal‑service and capital requests.
The presentation named specific pressures: an assistant‑administrator position added to the budget this year; a $100,000 internal‑service increase request in the sheriff’s department for vehicles and equipment; an IT cybersecurity and software package request near $120,000; and debt‑service principal and interest on prior bonds and DMV‑facility financing (combined items in the presentation roughly $525,000–$554,000 depending on line interpretation). Road‑and‑bridge project requests were listed at $5.8 million in proposed projects for the year; the library asked for $362,690, a 9.05% increase.
County staff stressed that the packet presented on Tuesday is an early snapshot. The presentation modeled one scenario with a 3% COLA and another placeholder showing how each 1% change in COLA affects the levy. Staff included a $300,000 placeholder for anticipated health‑insurance cost increases and a $250,000 contingency set aside this year while the board considers future insurance approach options (including potential self‑insurance).
The initial numbers produced a proposed levy increase above 10% in the staff packet; adding a 1% COLA in a second scenario increased that to roughly a 12.56% net levy change on the preliminary worksheet. Staff also reported modest new construction growth (about 1.04%) that would slightly dilute the levy increase across the tax base.
Several commissioners told staff the board will need to identify reductions and prioritize mandates and partnerships; multiple commissioners said this year’s budget cycle may need to emphasize cuts and shared service negotiations with cities and townships rather than new spending. Commissioners also raised the county’s historical use of county program aid and the timing of state program‑aid notices (statutory allocation expected Aug. 1) in final levy calculations.
County staff said department heads had already trimmed some discretionary requests and that staff will return with refined options during the balance of the summer and ahead of the statutory deadlines for the preliminary levy.
No levy resolution was adopted at Tuesday’s meeting; staff asked commissioners for guidance on priorities and signaled they will bring consolidated facility and departmental comparisons, a refined fund‑balance view and specific recommendations before the board sets the preliminary levy in September.","County administrators presented preliminary 2026 budget figures showing a potential double‑digit levy increase driven by employee step increases, medical‑leave and insurance unknowns, internal service requests and debt service; commissioners signaled the need for further cuts and prioritized a forthcoming review.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6169475,"County social services warns federal SNAP and Medicaid changes could shift costs to Clay County",3356,2335000,5691000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92&start=2335&end=5691","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92/thumbnail_2335000.jpg","/articles/6169475/Clay-County/Minnesota/County-social-services-warns-federal-SNAP-and-Medicaid-changes-could-shift-costs-to-Clay-County","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169475-4e3e31143e2708fc333de8cf0a6fe327/orig.mp4?Expires=1770604701&Signature=DYCsas-kIJR8uWrxhJWJ7KeMSTCv77E8XFve7Veq-5xFtRTXnkyPD3ccJqYwYr6CisOOdhkIzh3QQzezDnu7ELGSCZVCjWYKZDojpOyrkTqe5gyPTMmNmU59gBdEJ9AgUAp2rS7SrPb5CPp7FpQQfclonrBm9yR5FvxYi~4GPY2SCS8OsRg04IIOQnXlkomaxHep8CZT824pP~VvaIaseJRCs88gRMKSN6M1WbAVjlmPBuyr3cKDxUmQG89jV3cAvW9nzBzXWd-cPYBUf5IfeARyEv9NsShkOESbIn5ebNVO7wUN4Pa2wI43AuK9DeTiisbIIo7dwODKcYcYIkM6WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County social services staff told the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that recent federal reconciliation legislation will require new work‑verification and more frequent renewals for Medicaid (MA) and will cut federal administrative support for SNAP, likely shifting substantial administrative costs to states and counties.
Quinn, the county’s social‑services administrator, summarized provisions in the federal package signed this summer and identified three likely local impacts: higher administrative workload for county eligibility staff, reduced federal reimbursements for program administration, and increased risk of benefit denials or sanctions that would affect residents.
Quinn said Clay County had about 16,357 residents enrolled in Medicaid in 2024 (about 24.4% of the county’s population in the presenter’s chart) and roughly 3,400 SNAP cases serving 7,704 residents. He described new Medicaid changes that will require people ages 19–64 (with enumerated exemptions) to demonstrate 80 hours per month of work, volunteer, education or training; states must implement verification systems and issue detailed guidance by mid‑2026, with work requirements effective in 2029.
“We are anticipating reduced services, a higher local administrative cost, an increase in denied services and an increased workload for our county staff,” Quinn said, laying out a timeline that includes federal‑fiscal‑year‑2026 implementation steps for state systems and renewals.
Quinn quantified the local administrative risk in two ways. Using a county staffing baseline of 13 health‑care eligibility staff and an average loaded salary of $73,063, he estimated that a doubling of renewal workload would need roughly $950,000 in additional staff costs. He also used a state‑level estimate of reduced administrative funding (about $160 million) and Clay County’s share of the state caseload to arrive at an alternate estimate of roughly $1,240,000 in additional administrative burden for Clay County — figures Quinn said should be viewed as preliminary.
On SNAP, Quinn said the reconciliation bill reduces federal SNAP support by an estimated $186 billion nationwide over 10 years, lowers the federal administrative match from 50% to 25% (effective Oct. 1, 2025) and creates a penalty/shift mechanism tied to statewide payment‑error rates that could further reduce federal support. Minnesota’s statewide SNAP error rate was about 8.98% in 2024 and stood at 10% as of July 2; Clay County’s most recent local error rate is 3%.
Quinn warned that the payment‑error penalty could be applied at the state level and then distributed to counties, meaning counties that maintain low local error rates could nevertheless share in statewide penalties. He urged early, focused legislative advocacy and noted a $200 million federal implementation grant line in the legislation intended to help states implement the Medicaid changes; he recommended Minnesota consider making some of those implementation dollars available to counties.
Commissioners asked operational questions — for example, whether counties could put applications on a waiting list if demand spikes; social services staff said state timelines and federal rules limit that approach and warned of compliance and legal exposure. Staff promised to follow up with more precise fiscal modeling, advised commissioners that Clay County’s eligibility staff has a comparatively low SNAP error rate (3%), and recommended the board engage in state‑level advocacy to protect county funding and seek a proportionate allocation of any implementation grants.
No county action was required; commissioners requested copies of Quinn’s slides and signaled interest in a deeper, dedicated briefing as state implementation details and fiscal estimates become concrete.","Social services staff presented changes in recent federal legislation that will add work and reporting requirements to SNAP and Medicaid, reduce federal administrative reimbursements and could impose county-level costs tied to state error rates; staff recommended early advocacy and pursuing available implementation grants.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6169479,"Barnesville Ambulance asks Clay County for major budget increase as service switches from volunteers to paid crews",2587,935000,3522000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92&start=935&end=3522","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92/thumbnail_935000.jpg","/articles/6169479/Clay-County/Minnesota/Barnesville-Ambulance-asks-Clay-County-for-major-budget-increase-as-service-switches-from-volunteers-to-paid-crews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169479-64dbdb284d790d38be307932df070680/orig.mp4?Expires=1770604701&Signature=lpGqoeF8BbCnrdttMqOJAWzmACf9G2D5v6aNWsJFPRHEIpfXBFHw4YdCunsHWjByN60Wr3K7PQBZ3yFf93IhUsPcaNU5JjWdJXhKBlH3~WN~7-MymMZt7E2KiyI0Ja-agYmJ4LSuTWFxCP82Lofv2aThpLdYdaauQbnnGZdqT3al1pM2I54whLzIU5y~85lHx5mw3Rw3uhXhSa82V96HOOBVM5pl37ljun9I-658NYml~SMhirEhOj0Rlts13mqxqPxAja7IysD9fv~4E6qjDqCL57RQmuSelN1fnj~wE7euqJi9ZU4nRYbJ7uMJI5gOKWsW3ueC~Ht3pOuVo5RR0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Avril Whiteford, director of Barnesville Ambulance, asked the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to increase county funding to help the volunteer‑run service that has shifted to paid staffing and is running operating deficits.
Whiteford told the board Barnesville Ambulance covers about 442 square miles in southern Clay County and a small portion of Wilkin County, responds roughly 350–400 times a year and staffed in 2024 with 2 EMRs, 19 EMTs, 11 paramedics and four peer‑support members. She said the service has moved this year away from the longstanding $1‑per‑hour volunteer model toward paid part‑time employees and that change — plus higher operating costs and decreased volunteer availability — has driven larger budget needs.
“People don’t have the time, and they don’t have the money to give those resources anymore,” Whiteford said, describing the shift to paid staffing and the revenue measures the ambulance service uses — community‑education classes, event standbys and transfers — to supplement tax support.
Whiteford reviewed the service’s 2024 finances: the ambulance billed $654,314 for services and collected about $248,075.21; the service wrote off roughly $330,164.34 in Medicare/Medicaid and insurance discounts and sent about $40,988.63 to collections, she said. Of roughly 411 calls in the year cited, Whiteford said about 277 resulted in hospital transport; the service earns more from interfacility transfers than from routine calls.
Whiteford asked the county to restore a larger share of tax support after a major increase in city levy support last year moved the local funding mix. She asked the county to consider returning to a larger share of support (townships also agreed to raise their contributions at recent meetings, she said), and requested an answer by the end of September so her service can finalize its 2026 budget.
Commissioners pressed on several points. Some asked whether Sanford Ambulance had interest in taking over the service area; Whiteford said Sanford declined because of the added cost and current staffing challenges. Commissioners also questioned the rapid shift to mostly paid staff and contrasted Barnesville’s staffing with volunteer rescue squads in other towns; Whiteford said rescue squads do not regularly staff ambulance transports and that volunteer availability varies widely among agencies.
Several commissioners said they appreciated the service and recognized its importance — especially for cardiac arrest responses, Whiteford said — but also said the current county budget climate makes a large, immediate increase difficult. Commissioner comments referenced other shared funding priorities such as the regional dispatch center, and the board asked Whiteford to provide any additional documentation and to stay available while the county finalizes preliminary levy figures in September.
Whiteford said she will submit further information about her application for state funding and for the recently enacted state programs that may provide assistance for operating deficits; she called her $300,000 figure a ‘‘dream’’ request and said any amount the county could provide would help.
The board did not vote on the request at Tuesday’s meeting and took the proposal under submission for consideration during the 2026 preliminary levy process.","Barnesville Ambulance director told the County Board the service has shifted to mostly paid staffing, is operating at a deficit, and asked the county to restore and expand support; commissioners said they will review the request before the county’s preliminary levy decision in September.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6169483,"Clay County approves Cradlepoint devices to speed squad-car video uploads",385,305000,690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92&start=305&end=690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5404181-28cd3999f9936a2b93c0cfb0c0c09d92/thumbnail_305000.jpg","/articles/6169483/Clay-County/Minnesota/Clay-County-approves-Cradlepoint-devices-to-speed-squad-car-video-uploads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169483-4cdec42588a515aca67ba2ba15c1027a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770604701&Signature=oNYfdq0jtUZAd-uP6poyhzbZ4V8CH0TrhyRH-144M6eBX8JKvbV7FK6Vy5b3mvAct5KQ3h5KgIGFV8NKmP3~77vk8Egp3l0dfvAyW~lybtRzkfD5zQMxHz2fPldpH-foa0JeRu2pC54Ljvqf57t2eVXl0oricssQ9YBghlLFFoMg9OSn~jjA4PPdBDo2SKrc0s145s9hU~zgoWdg-AHH39IX4Hw32d5hfOdC05JaorfTjVREewooiZl5T1U4kWtK59-FuRbyRvf-~BjDPPvu1NW~ZSVFHqfHbTfoo1JRJHDkykC0pURk6wHoMvVD8UQcbgwDWFkQeUGfHlUFjiPjqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the sheriff’s request to buy Cradlepoint mobile routers for squad cars so deputies can upload video from the field instead of driving back to the law-enforcement center.
Sheriff Emdinck told the board the devices are a Wi-Fi cellular solution that will let deputies upload dash- and body-camera footage “from anywhere within Clay County,” eliminating delays when videos must be delivered to the county attorney, city attorneys or courts.
County staff said the hardware option is a five‑year purchase with an estimated per‑unit cost of about $2,231 over five years; about $200 per year would be for cloud service and roughly $1,200 per unit for equipment. The sheriff’s office also said removing SIM cards from vehicles could reduce a monthly SIM-card cost now running about $1,000 to $1,100 and produce approximately $12,000 in annual savings on that line item.
The sheriff and IT staff said the devices would reduce time deputies spend returning to the law‑enforcement center or a storage facility to offload video and would improve the timeliness of evidence delivery to prosecutors. “When the deputy stops their video in their car, it’ll automatically upload into the cloud,” Sheriff Emdinck said during his presentation, explaining the plan would reduce queues of unanalyzed video.
County staff proposed paying for the purchase out of the 2025 budget using savings from positions that were unfilled or partially unfilled this year. Staff produced worksheets showing roughly $75,000 in net 2025 savings attributable to four positions that were unfilled or partially filled, a sum staff said exceeds the five‑year Cradlepoint cost.
Commissioners asked about contract options; the sheriff said a five‑year prepay was the most economical proposal through the vendor (Code 4), although a three‑year option was available at higher recurring cost. Rory from IT said he had spoken with other counties and found stronger cellular connectivity for the Cradlepoint devices than the vehicles’ current internal SIM setups.
A motion to approve “the request as presented” was made by Commissioner Mosgrove and seconded by Commissioner Bier; the board voted to approve the purchase on the consent/motion vote.
The sheriff’s office and IT staff said they expect improved uptime for video transfers, fewer processing delays for prosecutors and courts, and more patrol time for deputies once the devices are deployed. The county will record the purchase and track the budget line items used to pay for the equipment.","The Clay County Board of Commissioners approved purchasing Cradlepoint mobile routers for sheriff squad cars to allow officers to upload body- and dash-camera video from the field, paid from this year’s budget using savings from unfilled positions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Soil and Water Conservation District requests modest budget increase as state grants decline

County staff outline preliminary 2026 levy showing double‑digit increase before policy adjustments

County social services warns federal SNAP and Medicaid changes could shift costs to Clay County

Barnesville Ambulance asks Clay County for major budget increase as service switches from volunteers to paid crews

Clay County approves Cradlepoint devices to speed squad-car video uploads