The new year is here. With the snow, we no longer need to sweep leaves from the walk. The days are getting longer. And the Polk County budget that was difficult to forge because of several things (the COVID and building problems, in particular) is in place. In general, things are looking up.
On the budget subject, only two people showed up at the County Board’s budget hearing session on the evening of December 13. Do you suppose the ugly weather that day had something to do with that or maybe county residents were happy with the less than four percent levy increase? Probably not, but compare that four percent increase to the national inflation rate increase of more than eight percent, and it isn’t so bad. Costs go up. Everywhere. All the time. We just live with that.
Some things will get a lot better in 2023.
For one thing, the Northwest Regional Corrections Center has reopened the pod that had to be shut down because of a staff shortage caused by the pandemic. As a result, Tri-County Community Corrections is again housing per diem-paying inmates from other jurisdictions. The pandemic had a significant role in the staffing problem.
And the Red River Valley Juvenile Center is now just a few weeks away from reopening, too. If you recall, the “residential side” of the juvenile center
was basically destroyed about a year and a half ago when an out-of-nowhere June rainstorm dropped its load on the building right at the same time as the roof was in the process of being replaced. When staffing demands for keeping just the undamaged “secure side” of the facility open didn’t make sense, the entire center was shut down.
There are some advantages to updating the interior of the residential side of the facility, so that is a plus. But the project ran to more than $1.3 million. An insurance claim is in process. Problems with getting HVCA equipment from the manufacturers have set the juvenile center project back about eight weeks. That equipment finally arrived in late December and should all be installed later this month.
An issue with the reopening of the Juvenile Center, too, has involved training the new corrections officers that were needed to replace those not returning to their jobs. The COVID issue was a factor again. The reopening is slated to occur late this month.
The jail pod closure resulted in the loss of some $400,0000 in revenue from housing prisoners from other jurisdictions. That income offset debt service on the $17.5 million in bonds that were sold to finance the construction of the jail. Those bonds will be paid off in February 2026, now just three years away. Hallelujah.
This will eliminate about $1.3 million a year in debt service. So, with the $400,000 in per diem income money pretty much back in place and the pay-off of the bonds in three years, things look a lot better.
Polk County and the other local government units that operate cities, schools, and townships, do a good job of managing their operations. They find ways to provide needed and required services in the best ways possible. They get things accomplished and find ways to pay their bills in the process.
Thoughts for the day:
• Nice to be here. At my age, it’s nice to be anywhere. — George Burns
• Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are onboard, there is nothing that you can do about it. — Golda Meir
Disclaimer: Thoughts expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily a reflection of the opinions of the other members of the Polk County Board.
