County staff present preliminary 2026 budget plan; board weighs personnel additions and levy implications

Stearns County staff delivered a preliminary 2026 budget update and levy outlook on Oct. 5, showing a proposed levy increase of roughly 5.6% driven largely by personnel costs and health-insurance assumptions.

County Administrator Mike (presenter name in packet) summarized the budget drivers: bargaining-unit wage increases and salary adjustments, a 3.5% health-insurance cost assumption, continued highway construction, and new obligations such as the state’s paid family and medical leave program. Paid family and medical leave was estimated in the presentation at roughly $800,000 total, with about half paid by employees and half by the county; the employer share is included in the 2026 budget.

Staff proposed several personnel additions in the preliminary budget, some funded partially or temporarily by grants or sales-tax project funds. Examples noted in the presentation include two patrol deputies (half funded with public safety aid in the draft), a procurement or project specialist dedicated largely to the justice-center project, a household-hazardous-waste lead/maintenance worker tied to expanded hours, and an environmental sanitarian position that staff say would be funded by fee increases if the board approves those changes.

Commissioners asked for more detail on job duties and alternatives. Commissioner Persky and others emphasized sustainability concerns for programs started with one-time opioid or federal dollars. Commissioner Bertram stressed priorities for public safety (deputies and fraud investigator) over other new hires. Commissioners also discussed whether certain positions could be absorbed by existing staff, the possibility of using the railroad-authority levy to account for a parks maintenance position, and the need for a long-range plan given potential state and federal cuts to human-services funding.

Staff said the county will open a public hearing on environmental services fee changes at the next meeting and will return with more granular recommendations for positions, health-insurance rates and levy adoption at the September/October board steps in the regular budget timetable. No formal levy action was taken at the meeting; staff recommended board direction on priorities ahead of a formal preliminary levy resolution expected later in the budget cycle.