Beltrami County adopts 2026 legislative priorities and discusses lobbying approach

Beltrami County approved a draft set of legislative priorities for 2026 after debate about whether the list should be narrowed for focus.

County staff presented a draft platform that was developed with input from management teams. Administrator Barry (referred to as Tom in the meeting) described ongoing coordination with the county's current contractor and other lobbyists and noted that the team has been preparing strategy items in anticipation of the legislative session. He said the current lobbyist contract runs through the end of the year and that staff will bring a contract decision to the board soon.

Commissioner Sumner urged commissioners to participate in in-person legislative advocacy in St. Paul, saying it often provides more impact than remote calls. He suggested prioritizing a smaller subset of items and encouraged fellow commissioners to join when possible. Commissioner Carlson and Administrator Barry said some items overlap with Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) and Minnesota Rural Counties (MRC) agendas and that staff can work to align the county's platform with those efforts.

Commissioner Carlson moved to approve the draft legislative priorities as the county's 2026 priorities; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote, 5-0.

Staff said the list may be refined in coordination with AMC/MRC and the county's lobbyists, and they reiterated that commissioner participation in testimony and meetings can strengthen the county's efforts.