At its August 6 meeting, Douglas County commissioners passed several resolutions and motions to ensure the residents and businesses of the county receive important services.
Bonds for Pope Douglas Solid Waste
The board approved $4.9 million in General Obligation Solid Waste Revenue Bonds for the Pope/Douglas Solid Waste facility. The funds will be used to purchase needed equipment for the waste-to-energy facility as well as construction of various improvements. Steve Vrchota, executive director of Pope/Douglas Solid Waste Management, said the new Environmental Facility will be completed late this year and the new processing facility should be up and running by next February.
Levy for Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Douglas County
Every year the board approves a proposed budget for the Douglas County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Emajean Hanson-Ford, Executive Director of Douglas County HRA, reviewed with commissioners the good work done by the HRA in 2023. She said last year her organization helped 213 households and reduced the Section 8 waiting list from 253 people to just 63. She also said 29 rehab projects helped improve homes for low-income residents. The levy for fiscal 2025 will be $890,000.00.
Library
The effort to acquire land for a new library in the county continues. Library Board President Becky Albright brought to the board an amendment to the agreement regarding the donated land the county plans to acquire. The 10-acre parcel is along Jefferson Street at the old Jefferson High School location. The purchase agreement will now be executed within six months, rather than 60 days. Albright said additional information needed to be gathered on the exact parcel. The board also said it wanted to ensure environmental testing is done on the land.
Emergency Management
Douglas County has a new deputy emergency manager. Emergency Management Director Julie Anderson asked the board to appoint Jason Hoaby to fill that role. He previously worked for the county in the IT Department and is the former police chief in both Perham and New York Mills. Mark McCabe had held that position and served the county for nearly 27 years.
Public Works
Work is anticipated to begin in 2026 to improve boat passage between Lake Geneva and Lake Le Homme Dieu. County Engineer and Public Works Director Tim Erickson asked the board to approve an engineering contract for the Geneva/Le Homme Dieu Bridge. He reminded board members Representative Mary Franson secured $2 million in funds to assist the county with rebuilding the bridge. The low bidder was Houston Engineering.
Annual Budget and Salary Presentations
Elected officials in Douglas County, presented their budgets and salary requests to the county board.
After sharing that her budget remains stable and her office had a one hundred percent compliance rate in 2023, Recorder Mary Skillings asked for compensation she said would help bring her salary into balance with smaller counties where the recorders currently make $12,000 a year more. Skillings is the lowest paid of the elected officials at $77,000. She requested a 5 percent increase in 2025.
Auditor/Treasurer Vicki Doehling compared her current salary with other Minnesota counties and asked for a 3 percent raise which would bring her pay to $106,250. She says that is still well below comparable counties she researched where the Auditor/Treasurers make an average of $113,600.
County Attorney Chad Larson thanked commissioners for allowing flexibility on hiring that has allowed him to finally be fully staffed. However, he shared that it’s difficult to keep attorneys when, for example, pay at the Public Defender’s Office is so much higher than what’s available in many counties. He said he hopes to work with the county human resources to develop a pay grid that will allow him to stay fully staffed. As for his compensation, he asked for $165,000 in 2025. That’s an increase from his current $143,500. Larson pointed out that his position requires work for Alomere Health and he proposed using the funds from Alomere to cover the cost of his proposed increase rather than passing it on to taxpayers.
Sheriff Troy Wolbersen was the final elected official to appear before the board. He says asking for a salary increase his least favorite part of the job. He reminded commissioners of factors that have kept his salary lower than other nearby counties, including wage limitations on elected officials for three years at one point during his tenure. He pointed out that the Pope County Sheriff, who is not responsible for a jail and has a smaller staff, makes the same money as he does currently and the Otter Tail County sheriff with fewer years of service makes $180,000. Wolbersen asked for his salary to be increased to $165,000 in 2025. He said, “I have taken my job as sheriff very seriously. We’ve always kept moving forward with initiatives to keep our residents safe and I feel I have earned the salary I am requesting.”
Commissioners also appointed Stacy Honkomp to a new four-year term as county assessor. The vote was unanimous in favor of Honkomp continuing as assessor.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, August 20 at 9 a.m. The board meets in the Administration Building at 821 Cedar Street in Alexandria.