Some details of the budget weighed heavily on the minds of Marshall County Supervisors at the regular meeting on Tuesday.

Supervisor Bill Patten mentioned budget problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic when they began discussing salaries of department heads – specifically the auditor, sheriff, county attorney, treasurer and themselves.

Patten suggested department heads could get a 3 percent raise, rather than the proposed 5 percent. Supervisor Steve Salasek said he was hoping for a 4 percent increase, but after considering the budget, he could support 3 percent.

“We’re looking at a million dollars, unfortunately, we have to find money for,” Patten said. “That’s just going to stick with us for a while.”

Salasek said he would even support a 2.5 percent raise for the supervisors, which was seconded by Patten and approved.

Supervisor Dave Thompson said the county is facing a tremendous budget shortfall because of huge reductions in revenue at the Marshall County Jail of $1.3 million.

The salaries for the county personnel for 2021 will be:

• Auditor, $76,871.48

• Treasurer, $66,177.96

• County attorney, $113,073.36

• Sheriff, $95,794.80

• Supervisors, $39,353.41

Thompson said he would like to see a 2.5 percent increase across the board, so he voted against the proposal.

In the 2021 budget review, assistant auditor Mary Stubbs told the supervisors the county would face a loss, going from a budget of $15.2 million to $9.5 million in 2022. She said that is the plan to help pay for the Marshall County Courthouse repairs.

Stubbs said the county has been levying less but spending more for several years, but added the figures she presented were very rough estimates. She also said she is not projecting additional federal or state funds for public health costs. Marshall County Public Health Nurse Pat Thompson is going to utilize registered nurses to help with COVID-19 inoculations. Thompson said it is unknown whether or not assistance will be received or if the county will have to fund it.

Thompson asked if a project to replace windows at the Marshall County Jail would have to be moved out due to the $1.3 million revenue reduction from the Sheriff’s Office. Discussion was also held on replacing some sheriff vehicles.

“When we’re faced with that much budget shortfall in revenue, we do need to make some reductions in expenditures,” Thompson said.

He asked for more concrete numbers since no decisions would have to be made on Tuesday.

Sheriff Steve Hoffman urged the supervisors to consider to fund the vehicles for first responders who answer emergency calls. The vehicles have more than 100,000 miles which increases mechanical failure. Hoffman said his department has earned and returned $1 million for the county coffers.

“We did not build a jail to create revenue,” Hoffman said. “I hope that your consideration is to help fund these priorities to keep these people safe.”

After the meeting, Hoffman said he understands the concern the supervisors have over the loss, but questions the reliance on the jail as a revenue source. The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the number of inmates in the county jail, because the court system has not been as active, and there is no way to predict how the pandemic will turn.

“Even if we accept prisoners from other places across the state, we have not had a single case of COVID in the jail,” Hoffman said.

He said he is alarmed and concerned the supervisors might leave the Sheriff’s Office with unreliable vehicles. Hoffman also said there has been effort to eliminate inmate visitation, which is on a video platform. He said if Marshall County residents want to help, they should contact their supervisors with their concerns about first responders not have adequate equipment.

Following the meeting, Supervisor Steve Salasek said the Marshall County Jail was never intended to be a revenue source, but it is considered such, and COVID has affected that income. He suggested the county could raise the levy rate in order to help the sheriff pay for necessary equipment and repairs.

“We will get through this,” Salasek said. “Everybody is anxious, but we will handle it and figure out what to do.”

In other business:

• Supervisors approved a $3.6 million contract between the county and RACOM to upgrade the emergency communications system. Auditor Nan Benson said a project lead needs to be determined for the county, who would be responsible for securing the land.

• Supervisors discussed using a Marshall County bank to help pay for the emergency communications system project and Marshall County Courthouse construction expenses.

“We have talked about using a bank from the very beginning for a number of reasons,” Patten said. “Number one — they’re local; local money.”

Patten said even though the interest rate from the bank is higher to begin in, that rate is only paid on the money used.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.