Board chair outlines 2026 priorities, highlights budget, services and diversion project
Summary
In a State of the County address, the Clay County board chair summarized departmental accomplishments, noted legislative wins including $1.2 million for a psychiatric residential treatment facility, and described the adopted 2026 levy and budget details; the board also highlighted an expected diversion project completion with flood protection in 2027.
The board chair delivered the 2026 State of the County address on Jan. 6, summarizing departmental accomplishments, service expansions and fiscal actions taken by Clay County in 2025 and plans for 2026. The address noted investments in public safety, public health and infrastructure and highlighted the board’s work with state partners on treatment and flood mitigation.
The chair said county appraisal staff reviewed about 3,000 parcels during the required quintile review and that the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s State Board of Equalization supported Clay County’s valuations without issuing state orders. On finance, the chair said the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office issued an unmodified opinion for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2024, and that the board adopted the 2026 budget and property tax levy on Dec. 23, 2025. The transcript records a property tax levy figure of $47,284,559 and notes new construction growth of 11.04% that produced a net levy increase of 4.35% over 2025; the meeting transcript’s line for total 2026 expenses was garbled and is not specified here.
The address reviewed specific department activity: the highway department completed a bridge replacement and multiple pavement projects and is preparing engineering work for a Highway 1252 roundabout; human resources processed around 1,550 applications and hired 138 employees in 2025; technology staff updated IT infrastructure, addressed a major fiber outage and adopted an AI policy; and the withdrawal management facility expanded from 16 to 32 beds and reached capacity on several occasions.
On veterans, the chair stated, "Clay County maintains 0 homeless veterans," crediting local and state partner collaboration to reach that result. The board also highlighted a $1.2 million capital award to remodel a nonsecure juvenile facility into a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) and noted legislative attention on flood mitigation and fee funding.
The chair said the county’s diversion project is expected to be substantially complete in October, and that the county anticipates flood protection coverage beginning in 2027. The address closed by thanking county staff and commissioners for their work and inviting public contact with commissioners or county administration.
Next steps: the board continues implementation planning across the departments described and will consider specific budget and program follow-up at future meetings.
