Supervisors approve shifting communications costs into emergency management pass-through

The Wright County Board of Supervisors heard a fiscal-year 2026–27 presentation from emergency-management staff and voted to shift certain communications costs into an emergency-management pass-through and to move elements of the emergency-management budget into general supplemental accounting.

Emergency management (introduced in the meeting as Jerica Beach, emergency management director) described a proposed reorganization of funding lines: communications costs currently under general basic would be moved into general supplemental and administered through emergency management. The change would allow communications funding to be run as a pass-through under emergency management rather than as separate billings to cities, presenters said.

Presenters and supervisors discussed potential impacts: board members raised concerns the county levy could increase because the county would absorb costs previously billed to cities; others said shifting costs could let cities lower their per-capita levies. The meeting transcript records questions about whether the communications center employees or salaries would be managed by emergency management; presenters said staffing decisions remain subject to the board and county processes.

After discussion, a motion to move the emergency-management budget elements (including wages) into a pass-through arrangement was made and carried by voice vote.

Ending

No immediate external contract changes were advertised in the meeting; supervisors directed staff to proceed with the budget adjustment for FY2026–27 and to continue budget discussions during the county’s scheduled budget sessions next week.