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County commissioner urges Ainsworth council to address roughly $80,000 Care Center repayment; council tables action
Summary
Brown County Commissioner Denny told the Ainsworth City Council the county advanced about $80,000 to keep the local nursing home operating and asked whether the city plans to repay that amount; council agreed to gather records and tabled the item for next month.
Commissioner Denny of Brown County asked the Ainsworth City Council to clarify whether the city would reimburse the county for roughly $80,000 the county advanced to keep the local Care Center (nursing home) operating while a bond and special levy were pending. "We were wondering what the city had as far as plans to repay the county back approximately $80,000," Denny said during Old Business, presenting minutes and records he said show a $76,900 discrepancy.
Denny said the county paid money above and beyond earlier commitments and that county minutes and payments needed to be reconciled with the city’s records. "There was a gentleman's agreement that night that we were going to do that," he said, describing the county's understanding that the obligations would be shared.
Council members responded that the city council had not taken a formal vote at the time to obligate city funds and that legal limits on county loans to a municipality had been raised after the fact. City staff and councilors noted competing interpretations: one view described a 50-50 expectation for contributions, while another emphasized that the city never voted to assume such an obligation.
City Administrator Lisa said staff had been exchanging documents with county attorneys and council members and that more review was needed. Several council members recommended postponing a decision until missing documents and key council members (including Councilman Brad) could be present.
The council did not adopt a repayment plan at the meeting. A motion to table the item until the next council meeting carried; the council directed staff to assemble the records, coordinate with legal counsel and return with a clearer accounting and options for reimbursement (for example, paying half the discrepancy into the county inheritance fund or reimbursing the Care Center directly).
Why it matters: The question affects intergovernmental finances and the local nursing home's past emergency funding; resolving the discrepancy could require council votes, legal review and potential budget adjustments.
Next steps: The council will revisit the matter at its next meeting after staff and county attorneys compile meeting minutes, payment records and legal guidance.
