|
There's nothing like cooler than normal temperatures and the start of a new school year to force us to accept that summer has passed. For those of you with kids in school (especially kindergartners) I hope this new year is off to a positive start.
2026 Levy
September is a key point in the lengthy process of setting next year's budget. That's because the County Board must approve the preliminary property tax levy this month. The levy is the portion of the budget that comes from property taxes.
During Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting, commissioners voted 6-1 for a levy that's 12.4% higher than the current levy. It's a difficult decision because everyone recognizes the impact this will have on property taxes. Here's a breakdown of why it's needed:
You can see the full PowerPoint here: FINAL 2026 Max Levy Presentation.pdf. My thanks to Bre Graber for her tremendous work pulling together this presentation, and to all of our commissioners, department heads and staff for their ongoing input as we face challenging times.
St. Louis County Board prepares to boost levy limit as costs climb - Duluth News Tribune
St. Louis County to consider double-digit tax levy hike - WDIO.com
I should mention - the Board will finalize their vote during next week's meeting in Toivola Township.
Recovery month proclamation
Also during Tuesday's meeting, the Board issued a proclamation for September as Recovery Month to honoring the courage of individuals in recovery and call attention to the work of our staff and community partners that makes recovery possible.
Maggie Myers from Public Health, and Cellie Dudley from RAD (Recovery Alliance Duluth) both spoke passionately about the work they're doing and the difference it's making in helping individuals not just survive but thrive (note the message on their shirts.) They thanked commissioners for the continued support.
Several events are planned this month to celebrate Recovery Month on the Iron Range and in Duluth. You can find details here: National Recovery Month • Recovery Alliance Duluth
Testifying about mining and sulfate variances
The MN Pollution Control Agency held a public meeting last night in Virginia as it considers wastewater permits and sulfate standard variance request for Keetac's mine and tailings basin.
Hundred of people attended - illustrating the strong feelings on the topic. Commissioners Mike Jugovich and Paul McDonald among the many speakers, with Commissioner Keith Nelson also in attendance
If you're not familiar with the topic, here are some news stories with background:
Iron mining industry leaders pack meeting on state sulfate standards - Northern News Now
Big crowd debates Keetac variance request | Local | mesabitribune.com
Special shout out to Julie Marinucci and Brad Gustafson who also attended and made sure to share photos for this blog :-)
Educating about Deed Fraud
Thankfully it's not a big problem in St. Louis County yet, and it's encouraging to see our Recorder's Office staying aware and working to educate property owners.
Deed fraud includes forgeries as well as misrepresentations about ownership. Adding to the problem, there are companies offering protection services that are more costly than are likely needed. (People can check records themselves with our Recorders Office.)
Public Records and Property Valuation Director Mary Garness was part of a panel discussion on this topic last week in Tacoma as part of a Property Records Industry Association confernce.
They discussed new legislative responses and practical strategies for protecting property rights, as well as efforts to enact new laws.
Our Recorder's staff has added a new page of resources on our website, which you can check out here: Deed Fraud Resource
Selfie time...
Thanks to Annika Beck from the County Attorney's Office. We bumped into each other on the way out of work earlier this week.
We had a good conversation as we walked. Annika celebrated one year with the County Attorney's Office earlier this summer. She previously served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court in St. Paul. Grayt to have you on board, Annika!
Rep. Mary Franson, who chairs the House Capitol Investment Committee, is in St. Louis County this week discussing bonding projects and other business. Following a meeting, I was able to show her one of my favorite spots in Duluth - the Lakewalk.
Rep. Franson has always been gracious in our meetings in St. Paul, and has even let me join her for golf in her district. So it was nice to be able to host her a bit in our county.
Speaking of golf, thanks to Matt Beyer, Andy Plesha and Mark Florence for letting me complete their foursome at the Civic League Golf year-end smash.
Note their fancy matching jackets - they won them earlier this summer at a different golf event (without me. Hmmm...). They're the City Golf Classic winners. Congrats!
Onsite flu shots
Fall means the start of flu season. Here's a great opportunity for SLC and ARC employees, family members and retirees covered under or eligible to be covered under the county’s self-insured health plan to get your flu shot:
 Check for the email from Tiffany Kari sent on Aug. 27 for details or click here to register for a timeslot at the location most convenient for you: Group Page: St. Louis County Flu Vaccination Clinics | SignUp.com
Logo pop quiz: Can you spot the difference?
Take a close look at the two logos below. Do you know which is our real logo?
Answer: the top one with Minnesota in a thin font. This is the only version of the logo you should use. If you're working on any outreach materials or have added our logo to your email signature, please double check that you're using the correct version.
The bottom version with Minnesota in an emboldened font is a variation we approved for our website only. It was to help make it more obvious for online visitors looking for St. Louis County Missouri, that we're in Minnesota.
Where can you find the real logo?
Check out the Communications page on our new Bridge SharePoint site. You can download our logo in various file types. Thanks to Liz Fifield for pulling this page together!
Bridge to Health survey
Check your mailbox in the coming days. If you find a Bridge to Health Survey, please fill it out!
This survey - coordinated by Generations Health Care in cooperation with dozens of local partners (including our Public Health team) gathers input on health needs and concerns for our region. All responses are anonymous. We receive the data to help us understand health needs and prioritize programs/services.
Looking ahead - a first in Ely
Community Connect is for people experiencing financial difficulties and even homelessness. The event brings together numerous community partners to offer numerous services and resources all in one place. Our staff takes part in these multiple times a year in Duluth and Virginia. Now, for the first time, we're helping offer these services in Ely:
 The Ely event is putting special focus on services for older adults. Thanks to our Public Health team for their work on this!
Labor Day celebrations
Remember the start of the week when it still seemed like summer? Here's a sampling of photos from Labor Day picnics in Duluth and the Iron Range that we spotted on social media, as well as provided by Brad Gustafson and Dave Bednarski:
In the top photo, that's former County Attorney Mark Rubin and current Senior Attorney Tony Rubin performing at the picnic in Duluth.
In the bottom row, that's Commissioner Paul McDonald speaking in Virginia, and Commissioner Annie Harala speaking in Duluth. Looks like a lot of fun!
And now the (ar)rest of the story...
You may recall we shared this photo a few weeks ago of a cat that Deputy Brock Kick had caught inside a hair salon in Mt. Iron. The photo had been posted by the Mt. Iron Fire Department.
PHHS's Shelly Powell emailed me with a very good question that some of you may also have wondered about - So what happened to the cat?
We reached out to Deputy Kick to ask, and discovered the real story is actually better than what had been posted on social media.
The whole incident happened during a free back-to-school community event in Mt. Iron that provided kids with new shoes, a meal, and a haircut. A girl participating in the event had brought her cat with her. However, per store policy, the cat couldn't be inside the salon. So Brock allowed the girl to leave her cat in his air-conditioned squad car while she got her haircut. The FB post was all in fun, and the cat is back with its family.
What a great example of the quick-thinking, problem solving that our deputies do all the time when faced with unusual situations. Great job, Brock! (And great question, Shelly!)
Remembering my brother
I know I've shared about my brother Barton before, but I've been thinking about him a lot this week. His birthday was Tuesday and he would have turned 65.
Barton was a great brother, role model and friend to all, as well as an outstanding athlete. (That's him playing football in high school. He was the quarterback for Cloquet.) Which made it all the harder to watch the effects as he battled Lewy Body Dementia in the final years of his life. He passed away from COVID in 2020. Thinking of you, Barton!
In closing
Even though it's been a short week, it seemed extra busy. Thank you for staying focused during this change of seasons, and for your continued work to serve our citizens.
I wish you all a good weekend!
Kevin Gray
County Administrator
|
