Richland County approves preliminary 2026 budget at 95.94 mills; commissioners seek larger COLA

The Richland County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 5 unanimously approved a preliminary 2026 budget that sets the levy at 95.94 mills.

Auditor/Administrator Sandy Fossum told the board the revised preliminary budget reflected a slight revenue reduction after corrections to Wahpeton’s tax-increment financing (TIF) district figures. Fossum said the draft was prepared with a 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and no step increases on the pay scale; commissioners expressed interest in pursuing a 2.7% COLA and asked staff to explore areas where cuts could be made to approach that target.

“Revenue went down slightly due to corrections in Wahpeton’s TIF district figures,” Fossum said when presenting the revision. The board voted to approve the preliminary budget as presented, with Commissioner Terry Goerger making the motion and Commissioner Rollie Ehlert seconding. All four commissioners present voted yes; Commissioner Nathan Berseth was absent.

The preliminary approval allows staff to continue budget work ahead of the final budget hearing scheduled for Sept. 16, 2025. Commissioners did not commit to specific cuts during the meeting; they instructed staff to return with options that could support a higher COLA without exceeding the preliminary levy. The action was procedural—the preliminary budget now moves toward the statutorily required public hearing and final adoption process.

Also discussed during the meeting were routine payroll and claims totals for July: payroll $856,873.81 and expenses $1,079,977.06, which were approved as part of the claims process. Fossum noted she had emailed the revised preliminary budget to commissioners before the meeting for review.

Next steps: staff will prepare updated budget scenarios and present recommended adjustments before the Sept. 16 final budget hearing.