Broadwater County canvasses sheriff mill-levy results as sheriff warns of service cuts after levy failed

The Broadwater County Commission on May 14 appointed Treasurer Melissa Franks to replace Commissioner Jesse Swenson on the three-person canvass board and formally canvassed and declared the vote on the county’s public-safety mill levy.

Clerk and Recorder Angie Paulsen said state statute requires three elected officers to canvas official results and recommended the substitution because Commissioner Swenson was at an out-of-county event. The commission moved, seconded and voted unanimously to appoint Melissa Franks and then to accept the canvassed results.

The canvass came amid public comment and warnings from Broadwater County Sheriff Nick Rausser about near-term service cuts after voters rejected the sheriff’s mill levy proposal. During public comment resident Steve Kirk urged the commission to improve outreach in the county’s south end and to hold more meetings there so residents would better understand levy language. “They did not see physical support for this mill levy from the commissioners,” Kirk said, urging more local engagement.

Sheriff Nick Rausser told the commission the consequences of the levy failure are already in effect. “Sergeant Cordova is out of the school as of Monday. We no longer have a presence there,” Rausser said. He said the sheriff’s office lost roughly $1,200,000 from its budget tied to the levy, that a south-end deputy posting that had been filled contingent on passage was cut, and that planned hires and jail staffing changes will be delayed. “We are lost $1,200,000 out of our budget, which is huge,” he said. Rausser said four to five deputies will be assigned to the jail at times and that patrol capacity and proactive policing will be reduced because of lower fuel and operations funding.

Rausser said the department plans to try the levy again next June and urged residents to become informed and vote. The sheriff also described specific operational impacts — for example, declining the request to close a road for a community memorial because of insufficient staff and fuel resources.

Clerk Paulsen clarified turnout numbers referenced in news coverage, saying that for this type of local election turnout typically runs 38–42% and that the sheriff’s election had about 52% turnout. Paulsen also explained how residents can sign up for county text notifications via the county’s MyGov service (instructions to text “BC notify” to the service number to opt in).

Actions during the meeting included the formal motion and unanimous vote to appoint Treasurer Melissa Franks as a canvasser and a subsequent unanimous vote to accept and declare the canvassed results for the Broadwater County Sheriff public-safety mill-levy election.

Commissioners and members of the public discussed better notification methods for rural areas, including text messaging, printed materials and increased in-person presence. The commission agreed to explore holding more meetings in the county’s south end, though logistical costs and recording requirements were noted as constraints.