Winona County board adopts $81.3 million 2025 budget, sets 3.64% levy after debate over staffing and outside agencies

The Winona County Board on its December meeting adopted a $81,298,042 revenue-and-expense budget for 2025 and set the county property tax levy at $25,692,049, a 3.64% increase over 2024.

Finance director Mister Elliott presented the plan as a balanced package that includes a 30% increase in health insurance costs, $3.7 million in capital expenditures — including $2 million of bonding proposed for the courthouse roof — and an approximately 6% increase in wages and benefits. "The resolution is asking you to approve the revenue and expense budget for 2025 of $81,298,042," Elliott said during the presentation.

The budget also proposes a net increase of 4.5 full-time-equivalent positions, primarily in Health & Human Services, and staff estimated a net $230,000 impact to the property tax levy. That staffing proposal drew the most sustained debate: Commissioner Ward warned he did not "support 4 and a half new health and human service" positions because much of the funding appeared one-time, and urged a phased or contract-based approach. Supporters said understaffing and state audit findings justify hires and that adding positions can reduce overtime and outside costs.

Commissioners discussed several line items and clarifications before voting. Commissioners asked staff to correct small numeric errors in the packet (for example, the veterans memorial funding figure), and to hold some outside-agency lines at prior-year levels. After a friendly amendment to hold SELCO library funding at the 2024 level, Commissioner Meyer moved to adopt the budget "as it was presented in our packet," and the board approved the budget (motion passed 3-2).

Following adoption of the budget, the board approved the levy resolution to set the 2025 property tax levy at $25,692,049 (3.64% increase). Commissioners debated whether to reduce the levy further but the motion to adopt the levy passed 4-1.

The board and staff said they expect to refine line items during the year; commissioners asked for greater documentation and a stronger finance-committee role for long-range cost-benefit oversight. Several commissioners asked for regular reporting from outside agencies that receive county funding.

The next procedural steps are clerical: staff will file the local-option sales tax ordinance and the budget/levy documents with the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Secretary of State within statutory deadlines so the sales tax may begin collection at the earliest allowable quarter.