Preliminary county budget increased 6.2% over ’25 final

By Anna Jauhola
The Kittson County Commissioners approved resolution 2025-14 to set the 2026 preliminary levy and budget during a special meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The preliminary levy is set at $6,547,187. This includes $5,315,160 in revenue for the general fund, $516,289 in revenue for the road and bridge fund, and $1,337,515 in revenue for Social Services.
Not included in the levy is the cost for the ditch redetermination payment of $175,900 to H2Overview-ers, which will come out of the 2026 reserves.
The overall preliminary budget for Kittson County is $18,491,487 in expenditures, with revenue of $11,322,523, and program aid of $621,777. This calculates out to the current needed levy of $6,547,187.
Governmental bodies are required to set a preliminary levy and budget by September each year. Once they set the preliminary, the commission cannot raise that amount, they can only lower it. They then have until December to set a final budget and levy.
County Administrator Aimee Sugden said the preliminary levy is an increase of 6.2% over the final levy approved for 2025, which was $6,159,518. Each year, there are unknowns, especially with health insurance, as those numbers aren’t released until late September or early October.
“So we estimated approximately a 10% increase in premiums, just because we know that nationwide premiums tend to increase,” Sugden said. “We think that we might be on the heavier usage side, so we want to make sure that we account for that.”
The cost of living adjustment (COLA) for employees is at 3.5% this year. Sugden said a lot of increases in the budget are due to wages, salaries, regular steps and COLA.
In 2026, the county has to budget much bigger for public health as they are taking that office back into the courthouse.
Sugden said they expect to receive $80,000 in revenue for that department with just over $120,000 in expenditures.
For all the work being done at the courthouse, the first bond payment will be $161,000, which is a decrease in the budget from last year.
Starting January, the county and its employees must pay into Paid Family Leave, which was passed by the Legislature earlier this year. Each must pay .44%, which amounts to $22,000 in the county budget.
As 2026 is a gubernatorial election year, the county must prepare to run a primary and a general election. This cost is estimated to be $92,000 for both elections. Sometimes, the county can recoup at least part of these costs through grant funding, but that’s not always a given, said Shirley Swenson, county CFO.
A cut to the budget will be on the GIS line item. The upgrade to the GIS System is nearly complete, which cost about $65,000 in 2025. So, the 2026 budget for that will return to $10,000 for maintenance.
The budget calls for a new fire alarm at the highway department shop in Hallock, but has cut the proposed shop in Northcote and updates to the Kennedy Shop. The state aid highway money will be focused on reconstruction of CSAH 7 west of Kennedy to CSAH 1.
While staffing costs are down in Social Services due to two positions being cut through attrition, there will likely be effects in late 2026 with cuts to Medicaid and SNAP at a federal level.
The sheriff’s budget will increase by about $10,000 in the out-of-county boarding of inmates.
“Overall, we’re pretty happy with where we sit,” Sugden said. “I do think we’ll have some more finessing to do before the final budget, especially once we get that health insurance number in.”
The next regular commission meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 9 a.m.