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As the county’s budgeting process for 2025 heads into the final stages, the county commissioners are carving out one-time expenses now that can be eliminated from costs for next year.  The remaining federal America Recovery Act (ARPA) monies were being allocated  with gusto, so they’ll be spent (dedicated) by the end of the year as required.  Some of these dollars are going to replace 30 year old carpeting at the government center and to complete a remodel creating more effective use of space in the county administrative area. 

The county commissioners are facing a mixed bag in revenues being made available for 2025.  Some line items are known, like a decrease in county program aid from the state by $90,000. But there’s a host of new expenses in Health & Human Services under the conditions of the state’s new  Department of Children, Youth and Families that call for new standards that  “add up” as HHS director Robert Benson put it.  For example, each case that the county becomes financially responsible for in child protection (currently at 50) will require certified letters. The letters run $9.65 each and Benson estimates the potential for five for each case.

A new process is coming on-line for child fatality and near fatality review, effective June 2025, that the county needs to gear up for.  

And, new annual reports will take staff time, and a new summary of out of home placement policy is due beginning March 2025.  Starting in 2027, Benson says the county will be facing a new set of laws arising from the African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act. Children age 13 and older will be kept in the courts system for delinquent behaviors but children younger than this will see the responsibility for their casework shift from courts to Health and Human Services,  as of August 1, 2026.  “This will increase child protection workers’ time on each case,” Benson explained.

He told the Board the state so far “...has provided very little guidance” on what all to expect as necessary costs to align the county processes with the new Dept. of Children, Youth and Families systems as established July 2024.

On the flip side of this scenario, the state did increase some of the fees the county can collect when it is providing billable services in areas like adults with developmental delay, children’s mental health, and targeted case management. 

There are three upcoming special meetings of budget and finance topics, featuring department heads, who present to the Board aiming to finalize next year’s numbers.  The commissioners saw a statistics sheet last week, done by the MN Inter-County Association that compiled 86 of 87 counties’ levy  data.  The Chisago County levy in 2024 was calculated at $806 per person residing in the county.   The population was 59,055.  This ranks Chisago right in the mid-section of  Minnesota counties, at number 40.  

Dakota County was at $343 per capita (444,985 population) and came in tops for the lowest burden in what it needs per person.  Traverse County (3,346 pop.) was highest at $2,080 per capita to cover its certified 2024 levy.

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