PRSRT STD ECR WSS US. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 70 MADELIA, MN 56062
POSTAL PATRON
National September 18-24
Pages 20-23
Weekly Edition
Harmony looks at garbage proposals page
Monday, September 19, 2011
Hooked and laddered
6
page
9
Volume 26 Issue 52
The air is alive
page
12
Spring Valley sets preliminary levy page
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Canton l Chatfield l Fountain l Harmony l Lanesboro l Mabel l Ostrander l Peterson l Preston l Rushford l Rushford Village l Spring Valley l Whalan l Wykoff
Preliminary budget and levy set by county By K aren R eisner kreisner@fillmorecountyjournal.com
After some discussion, the county board adopted resolutions to set the 2012 preliminary budget and levy. The budget is down over seven percent from 2011, but the levy is set to increase by 1.94 percent. Commissioner Duane Bakke said individual property taxes are determined by many things. Every parcel is different, and some property taxes will go up and others down due to other factors. County Coordinator Karen Brown explained some counties are lowering their levy by as much as three percent while others are increasing it by seven percent or more. Auditor/Treasurer Shirl Boelter noted having
reviewed counties statewide, several are increasing their levies by as much as 10 percent because of the legislature’s elimination of the Homestead Market Value Credit and the implementation of the Homestead Market Value Exclusion. Last week the county board had discussed using about $100,000 from the fund balance to get the levy increase to 2.5 percent or less. With additional late payments that added to Public Health revenues and a shifting of a partial payment for survey equipment for the Highway Department to 2011, the proposed levy was reduced to an increase of 1.94 percent without the use of the $100,000 from the fund balance. Commissioner Tom Kaase argued that we have exceeded
preliminary levy to an increase of .72 percent. Kaase asked why. Bakke responded that the fund balance is available and can reduce the 2012 levy, insisting the money is in the bank that can reduce the levy. Commissioner Chuck Amunrud said we can always revisit using the $100,000 when we set the final levy, adding it is more prudent to wait. Historically, the board hasn’t changed the levy after the preliminary levy has been set. Kaase suggested that this year there is the unknown with the changes made by the legislature eliminating the Homestead Market Value Credit. The motion to use the $100,000 from the fund balance to reduce the levy to an increase of .72 percent was defeated
our expectations getting to the 1.94 percent increase without reducing the fund balance, saying we should save for a rainy day. Commissioner Randy Dahl said the county is relying on the General Fund to cover several things and with so many things (potential expenses) out of our control, he was not in favor of reducing the fund balance. Bakke insisted the $100,000 should be used to further reduce the levy to an increase of only .72 percent. Boelter suggested it would be more prudent to wait and see what the increases are county wide. The county would still have the option of lowering the levy before setting the final levy in December. Bakke made a motion to take the $100,000 from the fund balance to further reduce the
with Chairman Marc Prestby and Bakke voting in favor and Amunrud, Kaase, and Dahl voting against. The resolutions to adopt the 2012 budget as presented and to set the 2012 levy with an increase of 1.94 percent were approved. A public meeting to discuss the 2012 budget and levy and to allow for citizen input was set for 6:30 p.m. on December 13, 2011. Social Services Social Services Manager Gail Bunge and Tom Boyd reviewed the 2012 social service budget. Fifty-seven county dollars are expended per capita for social services in Fillmore County. The county ranks the fifth lowest in the state, with the state average being $121 per capita. See COUNTY Page 6
Another busy week for Fillmore County Emergency Response Teams Police car chase near Rushford
Chatfield accident By Jade Wangen Wednesday, September 14 at 9:44 am there was a head-on collision between two vehicles on Highway 52 near County Road 7, just north of Chatfield. Cheryl Jankiewicz, age 52 of Chatfield, was driving an Oldsmobile, which was southbound on Highway 52, when her vehicle crossed over the centerline and collided head-on with a northbound SunV RV, driven by David Decker, age 64, of Zimmerman, MN. Decker and the other passenger, Allen H. Ahles, age 72, sustained no injuries. Mayo One transported Jankiewicz to St. Marys. Her injuries were not life threatening. The southbound lane of Highway 52 was shut down for an hour and 20 minutes.
Preston firefighters Dr. Dustin Arndt, left, and Dan Root, right, worked to control a hay fire that destroyed a shed out at Jim and Sheila Marzolf’s rural Preston farm. Photos by Jason Sethre Menu Specials Sept. 23, 24, 25
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By Jade Wangen Preston/Lanesboro Police Chief Matt Schultz and Fillmore County Deputy John DeGeorge were called to a scene in Rushford for a domestic assault incident on Monday, September 12. Suspect Kyle Gilow, age 21 of Winona, fled from Rushford Police Chief Sam Stensgard in his vehicle. At that point, DeGeorge got into his vehicle and began pursuing Gilow. According to DeGeorge, the chase reached high speeds at some points, and went through Rushford into Winona County. One of the squad cars pursuing him became disabled and they lost site of him for a short time. See RUSHFORD Page 2
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