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The Chisago County Board unanimously elected Ben Montzka to be Chair for 2023.  The Vice Chair is Commissioner Marlys Dunne.  The Board’s organizational meeting for each year is held the first Tuesday of January. This is also when elected office holders are administered their oaths of office.  District 5 newly elected Commission Dan Dahlberg  took his seat in December to fill an empty post. This week Jim Swenson, in the North Branch District,  and the incumbent county attorney and sheriff also were sworn in.   The next County Board meeting is January 18.

In other business: citizen appointments and commissioner committee assignments went smoothly.  

The county Park Board lost a couple of longtime members not reapplying for 2023 in Jill Sicheneder and Dan Kaiser.

With a new commissioner district being created through redistricting, North Branch District 1, is now represented on the Park Board by John Pantelis.  Incumbent Jolene Wille was shifted to District 2 and there remains a vacancy due to nobody submitting an application for District 4 Park Board.  Chairman Ben Montzka is the commissioner here and interested people can contact him or county.

The county planning commission also has some new members.  Joining Kathy Blomquist newly appointed for District 1 and Eric Lievian from Sunrise, is former county board member Chris DuBose for Dunne’s District #3.  Dave Whitney was seated for District 2.

Ditch levies were established at a 10 percent increase over 2022 amounts. Levies are no longer assessed to parcels on abandoned or closed Ditches 11 and 12 or the two judicial ditches #1 and #2.

The county stayed with First Resource Bank after Lake Area Bank was acquiredby FRB.

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