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Valley County hears public relations contractor request as budget workshop begins
Summary
County commissioners heard a proposal from the county's public relations contractor to increase her contract to a retainer model, with options discussed including a $45,000 annual retainer or an $85 hourly cap; commissioners asked for a written proposal and deferred formal approval to budget process.
Valley County commissioners discussed a proposed increase to the county’s public relations contract during a budget workshop on June 16, hearing a remote presentation from the contractor, Mackenzie.
The contractor said she had not increased rates since about 2020 and presented usage data showing an average of roughly 43 hours per month of work for the county. "My thought would be to do $37.50 per month that would provide up to 45 hours of marketing support each month," she said, describing a retainer option intended to average about $83 an hour and to bank unused hours for busier months.
County staff and commissioners weighed options. The county clerk said current-year public relations expenditures had been about $26,098.85 through June 16 and noted prior fiscal-year totals around $32,652–$34,980. Commissioners expressed interest in reliable monthly budgeting; one commissioner said an annual retainer "would probably be most helpful because some months are higher than other months."
Commissioners discussed program scope and cost control: the clerk suggested asking for a written proposal and creating a formal contract, and one commissioner proposed a blended approach such as a capped hourly rate (for example, $85/hour not-to-exceed a set annual amount). The clerk asked the contractor to submit a written proposal for review; the clerk’s office will bring the item back for a future workshop and incorporate the commissioners’ direction into the fiscal-year 2026 budget deliberations.
Commissioners flagged several operational points raised in the discussion: emergency communications work by the contractor (when she serves as PIO) is currently paid from Valley County funds and is not reimbursed by other entities; the contractor said her content manager, Addison, helps with social posting and that all work is approved by her; the clerk recommended clarifying which services are charged and whether any tasks should be reduced if rates are increased.
Next steps: the county requested a written proposal and indicated the commission will review it in a subsequent workshop and include any agreed contract amount in the pending FY2026 budget. No contract change was approved on June 16.
