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Board approves administrator employment agreement

After starting out with a preliminary 4 1/2% levy increase in September, the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a lower version at 2.8%.

County Finance Manager Pat Paquin said the levy increase was reduced with the hard work of department heads and others and noted the increase is “extremely low” when compared to other counties.

First District Commissioner Brad Edwin thanked Paquin, the department heads and other board members, who he said have been vey involved in the budgeting process.

“I think it’s a win for our county to be able to come in at 2.8,” Edwin said.

Fourth District Commissioner Chris Shoff said there have been horror stories about other counties that have had to approve double digit levy increases.

In total, the commissioners approved the local levy at about $27.42 million. The increase came from wages and benefits, along with increased costs for Public Works, Sheriff’s Office, Detention Center and Department of Human Services mandates.

Administrator Ryan Rasmusson said for a $100,000 home that did not change in value from 2023 to 2024, there would actually be an approximately 8% decrease in county tax.

He said the county tax capacity rate will be down approximately 8.4%, and depending on the change in value, properties will see various differences in the impact.

There is a shift in tax to agricultural property, as those properties saw the most significant increase in value for the 2023 assessment for taxes payable in 2024, Rasmusson said. In general, those properties will see about a 15% increase in tax. If individual property values pushed a property over the homestead tier limit, those may see larger increases.

Total expenditures were set at about $64.6 million, with the general fund at about $25.5 million, Human Services at about $14.1 million, the Highway Department at about $16.8 million and Public Health at about $3.9 million.

The ditch fund expenditures were set at about $977,000, the capital improvements fund at $2.3 million, the capital improvements bond at about $673,000 and the library at about $287,000.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the employment agreement with Administrator Ryan Rasmusson.

The contract calls for a salary of $153,150 while Rasmusson serves in the role of county administrator and department head for the county assessor’s office.

Once the assessor’s role is filled, he will receive an annual salary of $132,745.

He will receive the same cost of living adjustments as awarded to other non-union employees for 2024 and will be eligible for step increases in accordance with all county employees and personnel policies in 2025 and years following.

The agreement states the county board and Rasmusson will review his performance after six months, 12 months and annually after that.

In the event he ever is terminated from the position, and Rasmusson has served at least a year, he can demand written charges and a public hearing on the charges in front of the board before the date of final removal. Pending the hearing, the board can suspend the administrator with or without pay.

If he is terminated with or without cause, the county agrees to pay him a lump sum payment equal to three months of salary and to provide insurance benefits for three months following termination.

He will not be entitled to the severance if he is terminated because of being convicted of or pleading guilty to a felony crime or any crime such as fraud, theft, embezzlement or something similar. If he is charged with a felony or other crime of moral turpitude, he will be placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome, the agreement states.

Rasmusson can terminate the agreement at any time with 30 days prior written notice. If that occurs, severance shall not be provided.

• Approved the repurchase of two tax-forfeited parcels by John Ackland, son of the late Robert Ackland, who previously owned the properties. The parcels are at 225 Pearl St. and 502 Adams Ave.

John Ackland will pay a combined $7,541.

• Adopted 2023 individual sewer treatment system loans payable in 2024.

• Approved an agreement with Independent Management Services for guardian and conservator services for people referred by the county, including senior citizens and people with mental illness or another disability that results in lack of understanding or capacity to make responsible personal decisions and who has an inability to meet own needs.

The amount budgeted for the service is $120,600 and divided up amongst all the providers contracted for the service.

• Approved agreements for semi-independent living services with Independent Management Services, Lutheran Social Services and Crest Services. The total allocated from the state for all vendors is about $230,000.

• Approved an agreement with Mower County Health and Human Services for child care licensure services from Freeborn County. The agreement is for about 20 hours per week for 2024 and 2025.

• Voted to write off about $398 in uncollectible debt from the Freeborn County Mental Health Center.

• Voted to write off about $359,000 in uncollectible debt through the Freeborn County Department of Human Services.

• Approved a contract with Workforce Development Inc. for employment and training services and family stabilization services for county residents enrolled in the MFIP and DWP programs.

The agreement totals about $415,000.

• Approved the final payment to Ulland Bros. for the construction project on Freeborn County Road 26 between Hayward and Geneva. The project took place over the last three years and was awarded a Minnesota Asphalt Paving Association Merit Award for outstanding work in the rural category for county and municipal reconstruction projects.

• Approved a grant contract for 2024-26 with the Minnesota Department of Human Services for child and teen checkup outreach. The county will receive about $48,000 in 2024 for the effort.

• Approved a grant contract amendment with the Minnesota Department of Health for about $100,000 in new state funding centered around Public Health response in the event of an emergency. The funding comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is given to the state, which then will pay the county.

• Approved the resignation of Joseph Petersen, a substance treatment provider in Human Services, who is retiring.

• Voted to move the responsibility for investments from the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office to the finance manager.