The Polk County Commissioners met on Tuesday at the Polk County Government Center and received the final audit from the 2022 fiscal year. The audit presentation was presented by Hoffman, Phillip, & Martell, PLLC, out of Thief River Falls.
2022 the county budgeted $76 million, which is $4 million shy of the 2023 budget. Other statistics from the 2022 budget year included total expenditures in the amount of $70,476,485. Most expenditures went to general government, public safety, and human resources.
The audit also showed the county spent approximately $24 million in net pension liability, which contributed to a slight deficit in 2022. “This is attributed to the Public Employees Retirement system in Minnesota,” said Direc”or of Hoffman, Phillip, & Martell Coleen Hoffman, “Everybody has a certain amount withheld from their paycheck in the retirement program, and the county has to match that amount. It’s around 7.5%.”
The commissioners were also informed that the county had approximately $9 million in unreserved funds, which could be used for future projects in the upcoming budget years. Marrit Martell of Hoffman, Phillip, & Martell, PLLC, recommended the board start planning on using some of the funds from the unreserved so that citizens’ citizens continue accumulating with no usage. “The county should have a one-year, five-year, 10-year plan,” said Marri” Martell, “As to what they should be spending their money on or for bigger projects. So by putting this in those committed areas and using that money to do what it was committed to being used for, it will tell constituents that we have a plan while having your money; instead of building it up with taxpayer dollars, you should have a plan on what you will do with it over the next 5-10 years.”
The county”received nearly $80 million in revenue during 2022, with 34% coming via tax dollars. Polk County also received $38 million from governmental fund balances and just over $20 million from program revenues from the Polk County Highway, Public Health, and Human Services Departments.
The auditors gave other recommendations to the board, such as being more efficient with being ‘centralized’ up to this point in the budget. “I think (Polk County) is a little bit behind the ball on behind centralized,” said Martell, “A lot of other counties are already at that point. So there is a little more room for improvement.”
The final “udit for 2023 is due by September 30, in which the commissioners will be set to receive a similar presentation before that date.
The Polk County Commissioners will meet again on Tuesday, April 23, at the Polk County Government Center.
