Preliminary tax levy set at a 5.5 percent increase

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

On Sept. 23 the five-person Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners approved a preliminary net property tax levy of $58.6 million for 2026. This represents a proposed 5.5 percent net tax levy increase from the year 2025.

“Earlier this year we were facing a double-digit tax increase due to possible tax shifting from the state legislature to counties. We as county commissioners from all across the state lobbied against this in St. Paul and fortunately we prevailed,” said Wayne Johnson, county board chairman for Otter Tail County.

Added County Commissioner Kurt Mortenson of rural Underwood, “Where we landed with a levy increase is far better than where I thought we would be earlier this year.”

The county board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Government Services Center in Fergus Falls to receive public comments regarding the 2026 county budget and levy. This will be prior to final adoption of the 2026 budget and levy tax increase.

The 2026 county budget, approved earlier by various departments who adhered to cost-saving measures, includes county services such as highway and bridge maintenance, health and human services, land and resource management, parks and trails, solid waste, the county sheriff department, emergency management, solid waste, probation and geographic information systems.

MICA reps address

county commissioners

Providing a review of state legislative bills relevant to Otter Tail County were representatives of the Minnesota Inter-County Association (MICA) who addressed county commissioners on Sept. 23. MICA is comprised of 17 large counties across the state of Minnesota, including Otter Tail County, which are outside the metro area of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

MICA health and human services liaison Nancy Silesky told county commissioners that MICA will continue to pursue legislative assistance to counties for a better funded and more flexible public health system. Rachel Sosnowchick, MICA environmental liaison, pledged to advocate for enhanced solid waste assistance to help counties pursue waste reduction, reuse and recycling efforts.

Efforts in 2026 will also include the need to secure legislative grants to help county health departments coordinate cannabis education and prevention programs. A task force recommendation is to exempt the county cost share for treatment beds when a patient is moved from one state-operated bed to another.

Amber Backhaus, MICA transportation liaison, lobbies the state legislature to assist counties with roadway and bridge funding along with transportation-related bonding and water and wetlands issues.

County highway

projects update

County highway construction from Interstate 94 to County Highway 2, near Fergus Falls, is expected to be completed in October. Highway 35 widening of the Dent to Vergas route along with paving should also be completed in October.

The Fir Avenue roundabout near the YMCA in Fergus Falls is completed. Highway 75 work from near Highway 210 in eastern Otter Tail County is complete. Highway 52 work in eastern Otter Tail County is tentatively scheduled to finish in early October.

Box culverts for Highways 19 and 56 (north of Bluffton) are open to traffic while Highway 67 near New York Mills was scheduled to be open in late September. Seal coat and crack seal work started in mid-September. Countywide culvert repairs/replacements is complete. Annual striping work began in July and was scheduled to be be finished in September.

Health partnership

update provided

Otter Tail County Public Health Director Jody Lien gave an update to county commissioners about the new Prairie Lakes Community Health Board. This replaces Otter Tail County’s participation in the four-county Partnership 4 Health.

The new organization includes both Otter Tail and Wilkin counties. The two counties entered into the agreement for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a cooperative system of community health services.

“This will be under local administration to secure more efficient public health services for the mutual benefit of each of the joint participants and the communities in which they serve,” said County Public Health Director Lien.