Iron County earmarks remaining ARPA funds

By PAMELA JANSSON

pjansson@yourdailyglobe.com

Hurley — It’s been said by many people that the hardest work in any facet of government is done at the committee level, and members of the Iron County Finance Committee seem game to prove it.

The Finance Committee is an arm of the Iron County Board of Supervisors.

Under the leadership of Chairman Kurt Wolff, its members have been working steadily in recent months to streamline the county’s current and pending budgets with an eye to the greatest possible fiscal responsibility.

At the latest meeting on July 16, members voted unanimously to spend any remaining funds the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act on items already budgeted for the current fiscal year, so as to save budget funds.

Accordingly, county department heads will be asked to submit suggestions for expenditures.

After already allotted expenses are accounted, the remaining ARPA funds amount to $70,000, including initially issued funds from the federal government, followed by later, additional funds relating to counties with tribal connections.

Beyond that action, Wolff said that county officials will need to be mindful of whether increases in income, projected to be modest for the pending 2025 budget, line up with expenses, which already lean higher.

Hence, committee members also brainstormed regarding numerous other ways in which they may improve budget numbers.

Although no related decisions were yet made, Wolff said that a key need for Iron County is an IT strategy.

“We need to really make that a high priority,” he said, adding that current software constraints are causing “built-in inefficiencies.”

“We also need a comprehensive plan for the next five years in every department,” said committee member Karen Lauer in relation to all issues beyond IT.

In line with that, Wolff said that, when the county sets up a separate capital fund, there should be divisions for each department within that fund.

Committee members also questioned whether the county should explore the possibility of selling some of the buildings it owns, which in turn could lead to a restructuring of certain services.

Members also discussed saving on employee-related costs by reducing overtime hours, travel and unneeded attendance at conferences or even rethinking how the current 8-hour day, which includes a 30-minute paid lunch break, should be structured.

Committee member Roxanne Lutgen suggested the possibility of investing in a wage study and questioned the habit of periodically giving everyone the same cost-of-living wage increase.

Member Karl Krall said that, if the county did not distribute wage increases equally, more complaints would ensue.

Committee member Scott Erickson leaned away from any decisions affecting staff.

“I don’t want to cut people,” he said. “I don’t want to cut hours. I don’t want to say we’re going to give you a raise but not really give you a raise.”

Although he said he does agree with reasonable cost-cutting measures, he added, regarding previous committee discussions on the possibility of raising taxes, “I think we’re going to have to get to that referendum status.”

Overall, Krall said, “It’s a tough situation. As a government entity, we’re not supposed to save money. We’re supposed to balance budgets.”

But he said the county also needs “oh (heck)” money for emergencies.

Krall said that all departments have cut everything they can cut, from trucks to projects. He too mentioned the need to discuss a possible referendum.

One final consideration was the cost of insurance.

Several persons suggested the need to explore and offer additional insurance options.

Melissa Geach, Iron County health officer, said that young people don’t care so much about traditional insurance plans and could use the option of a less expensive, pared-down option. She also suggested an option to serve a single plus one.

Geach also emphasized, however, that the roughly $160,000 per year that the county pays for deductibles is “piddly” compared to the outcome of it paying off by “keeping people healthy.”

In other news, committee members also voted to set up at Chippewa Valley Bank in Hurley a separate account in relation to pending funds from a national opioid settlement from Kroger Pharmacy.

The vote included related action to move any already received opioid funds to that account.

The Finance Committee recommends action to the Iron County Board of Supervisors, which has the power of the final vote. The board’s next meeting is on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Iron County Courthouse.