Becker County funds county STS position through year after state cuts

Becker County commissioners voted to cover the county portion of a county STS (work-release/community-service) crew supervisor position through the end of the year after the state eliminated funding for a parallel state-funded position.

The board approved using reserve funds to cover the shortfall so the county can maintain supervision for community work crews that support environmental and recycling operations. County staff told commissioners the state-funded position provided roughly $26,000 in annual support; commissioners agreed the likely county obligation for the remainder of the year would be about $13,000, and could be up to $26,000 if state payments are not received for the first half of the year. The board instructed staff to revisit the funding question before the end of the year as state decisions and budget details become clearer.

County staff said the state decision affects two positions: one state-contracted role that has been terminated and one county-funded position whose state supplement has been reduced. Commissioners discussed several options for supervising crews, including using county staff to oversee the state ICWIC inmate crews and exploring alternative supervised-release programs; staff said they are continuing those conversations with state corrections representatives. The board’s motion directs the county to maintain the county STS role at 100% through year-end while staff pursues longer-term options and seeks formal confirmation from state authorities on allowable uses of reserve and grant funds.

The board’s action maintains the county’s operational capacity at composting/recycling facilities and regional trails through the summer months and reduces the immediate risk of managing those sites without supervised crews.