Stearns County Approves 2023 Budget

(KNSI) – Stearns County has approved a 2023 budget of $186 million, about $8 million more than last year.

Stearns County Administrator Mike Williams says the 5.6% increase in spending will pay for road work and employee raises and is eaten up by inflation. “You know things have been subjected to inflation. Everything from fuel, to food and were seeing big increases in our equipment. Inflation is hitting the county, just like it’s hitting everybody in many areas.”

He says plow trucks are up by $70,000, and that increase led to the county deciding to forgo getting a second truck.

Around $91.6 million of the $186 million budget comes from property taxes. The rest is from state, federal or other sources. It is a 3.7% increase in the property tax rate compared to 2022. It is $500,000 less than what was proposed in September. The county board approved the budget on Tuesday.

Williams says it will be a record year for road repairs, with $33 million worth of work planned. “There’s projects scattered all over the county, most of which are funded with the local option sales tax. And the only place we spend those [dollars] is on highway construction. Which is great, because we’re getting caught up with the needs there.”

The county board has extended the local option sales tax for another five years. Williams says most of the tax burden was shifted to lower-end residential properties due to their valuations. Find out more about the issue by clicking here.

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