[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-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",[32,74,86,98,110],{"_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":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6167176,"mediaKeyId","5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626","parentId",5412059,"title","Commissioners discuss airport and library capital requests; no funding commitments made","audioSeconds",1027,"startMs",5373000,"endMs",6400000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626&start=5373&end=6400","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626/thumbnail_5373000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6167176/Stark-County/North-Dakota/Commissioners-discuss-airport-and-library-capital-requests-no-funding-commitments-made","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167176-e65685242f79b918bc92a192d1a4a64e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771061723&Signature=d2o06lHccy0IwuV6OKBdRW~aFToqxKsMq97z2YD~N81HHTFwDYfku7OW0xKMoPvBmuk53LqPRfZ59V1kJiUt7JpN3ll9fSqYIZvjOO~gmJMAD1cpTGtKsCEZLLNQJRvtpqki4FIxHcTCXxSuhemxRg6d7g4eoECqWCtNXQeuc0rA-8RjU2YPYsxTWQ0QjfCtMXfXCsZWYx4XW9ooiUgKnnDotdqQESRu2P2-5Cfpwf8qrp9c9~6FP97~rwAhwYY~m-UQrac~OzcjFmkU5bczeeVpQk3X5f1Zj35gaMKe2LygKFIWA1I5IZXMhTxT36sEnlPfsTo3UlcFHhTXRPb8cA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Stark County, North Dakota","date","2025-07-16T05:04:35Z","article","Commissioners discussed two large community requests for county support: a $4 million ask from the Dickinson Regional Airport authority for its expansion project and a $750,000 request from the library for construction.

Chairman Messer and commissioners noted the size of the airport ask and the multiple funding partners involved; staff said the city of Dickinson and neighboring counties have also been asked for appropriations and that the airport and library levy structures interact differently with city and county taxing roles. The auditor’s office said the county’s contribution to the airport historically is below one mill (county share) and that the city separately levies near four mills for the airport inside Dickinson; the county share in recent years has been in the low six figures.

Commissioners discussed possible constraints from accepting federal grant dollars for airport construction — including long-term restrictions on certain revenue sources such as paid parking — and compared the airport’s situation to other North Dakota airports that have received federal funds. Commissioners also asked for more detailed budgets and for the airport and library to appear before the board with project-specific financials and timelines. The commission indicated it will consider requests as part of the broader preliminary budget process in August, when staff circulates projected revenues and pending transfer requests.

On the library ask, commissioners said they want clearer information about how the library currently pays bills and the role of the city’s bookkeeping and the library foundation; one commissioner said routine bills appear to be paid before the county sees them and asked for more transparency before approving additional county funds.

Why this matters: large capital contributions from the county would affect available funds under the new levy cap structure and the 2026 budget; commissioners requested more detailed project budgets and will revisit requests in August.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Stark County Commission Meeting 7/15/2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","The airport requested $4 million and the library $750,000 for capital projects. Commissioners discussed funding capacity, city and county levy structures, federal-grant tradeoffs and next steps; no formal county commitment was made and items will be revisited in August.","taxTitle","taxId",51193,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6167180,"Commission adopts new compensation policy and preliminary merit matrix for 2026 budgeting",3252,1973000,5225000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626&start=1973&end=5225","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626/thumbnail_1973000.jpg","/articles/6167180/Stark-County/North-Dakota/Commission-adopts-new-compensation-policy-and-preliminary-merit-matrix-for-2026-budgeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167180-18352f39659865551d23710da66feef0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771061723&Signature=WbCxAN2rnZig7kiyyDL4PKK0pI5BsjEKAjlAdpFV9SOdsostZT0wD~lRCRxkbAQXM4XGKchl2ocbHicfNHMjUUlc0mWgqoAu5MLJBY5AWhasr85SN05R62WN3b0Ow9hrcvl66BRtk-fG5STMI8u2UrMFtTzSASmaqTJ6NqYUrHg6Bz1M0Z~1aMy1r0tdEuG4hi30sPlHyd5jEtVIaBl5nem1Uk-3d2XCdtOYaa2lypEgaj1pme-ABsVNXL4JtpgrHj4O5Ay9R7ifRIGzbMs-ywDDHIt9YcVmOOUqIhckW~2PuaNfsevwba~G~XzyaFdmrvcLlPkds~6~R18-FYpojA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stark County Commission approved a new compensation policy and a preliminary merit matrix to guide 2026 salary budgeting and merit-pay calculations.

Joetta Piercy, the county’s human resources director, presented a compensation framework developed by a compensation committee made up of county staff and two commissioners. Piercy said the policy combines three approaches: a step-and-grade system (for elected officials and staff without evaluations), market-based ranges set using NDACO and Bureau of Labor Statistics comparisons, and a performance-based merit matrix to reward employees based on evaluation scores and where they sit within salary ranges.

Piercy said the policy includes an annual market analysis for all positions and explained the matrix would calibrate merit increases by both evaluation score and position’s location in a salary range (for example, employees below the median would be eligible for larger percentage adjustments). She told commissioners the committee had sized a matrix that generally targets a 2.5–3% budget impact consistent with consumer price index and Social Security COLA projections and that preliminary department-by-department budget numbers would be prepared for August.

Commissioners discussed implementation details, how the policy interacts with longevity pay and insurance benefits, whether one-time market adjustments would be necessary for certain departments (notably the sheriff’s office salary structure), and the timing for evaluations and payroll processing. Piercy explained step increases and merit adjustments are calculated by HR and are entered into payroll in January after evaluations and final budget approvals.

Commissioner White moved to approve the policy; Commissioner Claris seconded and the motion carried. The commission later approved the recommended merit matrix (referred to as matrix No. 2) for preliminary budgeting with a separate motion and roll call vote.

Why this matters: the policy establishes a repeatable, market-informed process for salary ranges and merit adjustments, which staff said will be used to produce preliminary budgets in August and to process merit and step increases during the next payroll cycle.","The commission approved a new county compensation policy that combines step-and-grade, market-based and performance-based pay and adopted a preliminary merit matrix (matrix No. 2) to use for August preliminary budgets and employee merit calculations.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6167184,"Commission approves special-projects fund to cover county share of Softchoice migration under awarded grant",1137,838000,1975000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626&start=838&end=1975","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626/thumbnail_838000.jpg","/articles/6167184/Stark-County/North-Dakota/Commission-approves-special-projects-fund-to-cover-county-share-of-Softchoice-migration-under-awarded-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167184-87ba83f56adbe5e9633e11b5f90b5f2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771061723&Signature=aUdL9FQaW9Uk~VvSiRbX5Ke~21EKPOk4jnepSJxlDJ3gvooJh7rwTRk9UVG4aXXmLqMSv6YU5LGqe~0Atb5R-KnnOQSFFE5jmYa~L8mT~0oPoZFBont5wldpGHA0BxdhxeBGREOAzNxncY~-TF2cOWi9LHtlUBFsXQStQc84gTCRwf3COIocNNHqePFgSXHf7KLqQGdTZxHG1qMdNU8Td-fDUJ1kLdo0KCz9fd9ZV3db3b2xaBsXhALroY78OqE1jwrq4klxE4s0SO9eTSBZcqSrg8kFPXMxE36d9RMDXdicucBA6k2kpc0UpdYBQCg2VwCl-wjaHdPlmu14wc5uFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County IT staff recommended the commission move forward with a state-contracted vendor, Softchoice, for Microsoft licensing migration and to create a special-projects fund to cover the county’s 30% share until state grant reimbursement arrives.

Jeremiah, Stark County’s IT coordinator, presented a cost comparison between the state’s Softchoice contract and the NDIT model. He told commissioners the Softchoice option offered greater administrative control and fewer restrictions for OneDrive and user management, allowed more in-house control of server administration and, in his review, produced the lowest pricing of vendors the county had contacted.

Brad, who said he applied for the grant as part of his Emergency Services role, explained the grant’s 70/30 cost-share structure. Jeremiah and Brad told commissioners the special-projects fund would be used to pay licensing and migration costs up front; the state grant would reimburse 70% after the county submits the required 2025 national cybersecurity review and other paperwork (the earliest anticipated reimbursement window begins after Oct. 1 when the 2025 certificate opens).

Commission discussion covered the vendor selection, whether changing vendors would require re-opening the bidding/amendment process for the grant, and timing of the contract start. Staff explained modifying the vendor would likely require a formal bid or amendment that could delay the project and that Softchoice appeared to be the lowest-cost option they had found.

Commissioner White moved to create a special projects fund and initially proposed transferring roughly $137,000 from county IT reserves; after amendment the commission approved a transfer of $233,176.95 to the special-projects fund, with the county’s roughly 30% share to come from IT budget reserves and the remainder to be reimbursed by the state grant. The motion passed on roll call. Commissioners and staff said the county will seek reimbursement for 70% of eligible expenses when the required state certification is submitted.

Why this matters: The county approved upfront funding so the IT migration can proceed under the state-contracted Softchoice vendor; the county is responsible initially for the local share and expects state reimbursement for the majority of eligible costs.","After staff recommended using Softchoice under a state contract to migrate Microsoft licensing, the commission agreed to create a special projects fund and transfer $233,176.95 to cover upfront costs; commissioners were told 70% of the cost will be reimbursed by a state grant once required paperwork is submitted.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6167190,"Commissioners approve road department removal of old Highway 85 bridge south of Belfield",250,570000,820000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626&start=570&end=820","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626/thumbnail_570000.jpg","/articles/6167190/Stark-County/North-Dakota/Commissioners-approve-road-department-removal-of-old-Highway-85-bridge-south-of-Belfield","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167190-027760532487b84ebb172ef02159e9ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771061723&Signature=NxSg-FxddfLAZuctUTGlJMqepvXl9sTUsbshsRtIUSjqz0NFqiE3gnn8jb~vtIhdGHxCS9QdT9Lzb5Wh9XYh819LAwfaAXk-hy5t9muZvJsq8DMrg243RmhfT5T0zXMGEsa9y23hkc63bb~SI5xjxvgbbZTuf1z7~WfJ1y4KtJtDrpwNQuB~uJ9awKebNwAr85J1k83~JLbTWmnx9wc7IqqKA-hBBmfYJtzu1yK9Ynl5oE~uZMFZeeBXY7oFvtP871KqPHoFerDNV0~H8nFbYNMDEDU5NJ2TzF~k55ltH3kFmhlZdpNLvyEctJQt2gJ5NFAL3aY-eqRRyq0YHhtx5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stark County commissioners approved a motion to let the county road department remove an older bridge structure south of Belfield that had belonged to the state when Highway 85 was rerouted.

Todd Miller, the county’s road operations specialist, told commissioners the parcel contains the old Highway 85 bridge turned over to the county after the highway reroute. He said Interstate Engineering prepared a removal plan and recommended demolition. Miller recommended the county not bid the work out but to perform the removal with county crews, pay Interstate Engineering for the plan, and reuse or salvage materials where practical.

Miller said the county may replace the crossing with a low-water crossing or set a culvert or small pipe for the landowner to cross, and that some planking and cattle-pass material could be reused or given to nearby ranchers. Commissioners asked about current daily usage; Miller said the crossing sees about one trip per day as a field cut-across.

A motion “to allow the road department to remove that bridge and put in either a low-water crossing or a pipe” was made and seconded. The board voted in favor, and the motion carried.

Why this matters: the action removes an aging structure from county responsibility and gives road staff discretion to reuse materials and install an appropriately sized low-water crossing or culvert for the landowner’s continued access.","The commission authorized the county road department to remove the former Highway 85 bridge on the Stark–Billings county line, following a staff recommendation to perform the demolition in-house using an Interstate Engineering plan.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6167195,"Commissioners briefed on House Bill 116 changes to local-budget rules and timing",484,112000,596000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626&start=112&end=596","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5412059-9d651255118d7fceb568b64001b9d626/thumbnail_112000.jpg","/articles/6167195/Stark-County/North-Dakota/Commissioners-briefed-on-House-Bill-116-changes-to-local-budget-rules-and-timing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6167195-e11e409b4f673d87e3143d75706f4aed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771061723&Signature=VPq9~2FYZGI6U23fUs48aVyANlUpFmUFvKb3ESm8kJU2p6Fl94r1p9gZKTdK0i~yzTTk~I29yHXtt9mtPCEloFKivCVqiH2SV4Crp3GOdD~yV3nqbiAc6ILprWm2rHjCQ5V3b8IX~IxpX3eg4ZrZ6G5-HNW6b1rIcpGZRQKzo6EsGZXDhrG7PUTLJqRmC2q-1PIuvBQYZs0F0RdhU5yv44ZMC8yZT-4mh75neKuybyQXgMfbF~PPYbdqZ3x4bDGUGo5kIpM-Axav7OXwSs0tZ6PmiD6h5u~PHOo-vcbZavbLhfgcrD~5UKf1wHJC7m3E7JQmUG0s2Y9J2Qml3xEMfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff gave Stark County commissioners an overview of changes in state law they said will affect the 2026 local budgeting process. The presentation focused on provisions in House Bill 116 for political subdivisions, deadlines for budget notices and hearings, and how a new cap on dollars levied will be calculated.

Karen, a county staff member who presented slides from the North Dakota Association of Counties (NDACO), said the primary-residence credit was increased to $1,600. She said the bill establishes a 3% cap on the growth in dollars levied — not on a jurisdiction’s overall budget — and allows unused percentage increases to be carried forward for up to five years.

The county’s auditor staff illustrated the difference between overall budget figures and dollars levied by using the general fund as an example: a roughly $12,000,000 general-fund budget with $5,500,000 levied in taxes. The 3% cap, she said, applies to the dollars levied ($5.5 million in the example) and not to the total budget. She also explained that if a jurisdiction uses less than the 3% in one year it can carry the remaining percentage forward, up to five years.

The presenter outlined three taxing “buckets” the county will use for cap worksheets: a county-wide bucket (general fund, county road and bridge, senior mill levies, JDA and similar levies that cover the whole county); an unorganized road-and-bridge bucket (which excludes cities such as Dickinson); and a separate bucket for the airport, library and Weed because those do not include the City of Dickinson in the same way. The staff member emphasized that the 3% cap applies to the dollars levied within each bucket.

She also reviewed new timing requirements from the bill: political subdivisions must submit notice of their public hearing date, time and location to the county auditor by August 10; hearings must be held between Sept. 7 and Oct. 7; and the county’s final budget must be approved by Oct. 10 so the auditor can calculate and send out final levies. The presenter said preliminary budget materials must be viewable by the August 10 date for anyone who wants to review them.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how departments should plan for the cap and were reminded that the 3% is an aggregate lever for a taxing district, not a department-level requirement. The presentation was informational; no formal action was taken.

Why this matters: commissioners and department leaders will use the new cap worksheets and hearing deadlines when preparing the county’s preliminary and final budgets.","County staff explained key provisions of House Bill 116 affecting local political subdivisions, including a higher primary-residence credit, a 3% cap on dollars levied with multi-year carryover, three taxing \"buckets,\" and new deadlines for publishing hearing notices and final budgets.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners discuss airport and library capital requests; no funding commitments made

Commission adopts new compensation policy and preliminary merit matrix for 2026 budgeting

Commission approves special-projects fund to cover county share of Softchoice migration under awarded grant

Commissioners approve road department removal of old Highway 85 bridge south of Belfield

Commissioners briefed on House Bill 116 changes to local-budget rules and timing