MANKATO – The Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners will take their first steps into an uncertain future on Tuesday.
In a rare evening meeting, the Board will meet for a 2026 budget presentation and public hearing. The preliminary levy, established in September, would see an 8.5% increase from this year’s levy, totaling out to $51.9 million. That jump is the second highest year-to-year jump that County has seen in 30 years. The increase means an average home value of about $325,000 would pay $154 in county taxes next year.
And this is just the first step in what could be an even more painful process in the future.
“I think it’s important to know that the next two years, with the state and federal issues that are happening, we’re going to be hit even harder,” Commissioner Vance Stuehrenberg said.
That comment, happening during a Board meeting earlier this year, came on the heels of similar warnings given to the council by Deputy County Administrator Josh Milow.
“I know it’s not great looking at 2026, but that’s not horrible. … But it is (when) really looking at 2027 and 2028,” he said previously.
Amid those concerns and uncertainty surrounding the future, the county has already taken steps to reduce its budgetary impact. One of those steps includes administering a county-wide voluntary furlough program as well as considering county workforce reductions through attrition.
“We’re already, for 2026, looking at probably a little over $1.3 million in reductions, for salary, benefits. We’re also looking at some significant decreases of capital purchases that we’ve taken out of the budget,” he said.
Still, cuts and reductions can only get them so far. In a prior board meeting, County Administrator Bob Meyer explained the county’s difficult position.
“We don’t really have many options because our services are mandated by the State Legislature. And so our only recourse is to look to property tax revenue as a way to cover that cost,” Meyer said.
One of those few potential options is for the county to rely on its $80 million reserve fund. The problem with that, however, is that if you rely on those funds for too long, they run out. The board hopes that by passing a higher levy this year it might be able to stave off some of the pain in years to come.
“It’s going to be uglier in the next two years, and if we don’t do (something) this year, next year’s going to be even worse,” Commissioner Patty O’Connor said.
The Board will hold its meeting at the Historic Courthouse at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, in council chambers.