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Budget 2019: Committee Reviews General Fund, Non-Mandated Budgets and Informational Tools

Jul 18, 2018 08:54AM ● By Editor
Media Release from Cook County - July 18, 2018

July 18, 2018 – At the second meeting of the Cook County Budget Committee, held Tuesday, July 17, the Committee worked through a full agenda, discussing items such as:
  • Non-Mandated Budget overview of last five years
  • General Fund Departmental budgets
  • Public perception and informational tools, and the
  • Schedule for public meetings related to the Budget
“We are getting down to work reviewing key sections of the Budget and addressing important questions like what information is needed to engage citizens and what misconceptions and misinformation exists, and how we address that,” said Board Chair Commissioner Ginny Storlie. 
 
The Non-Mandated Budget, or County discretionary funds includes items such as:

County Operations

Joint Powers Agreements

Other Countywide Govt Related

Airport Fund

EDA

Cook County SWCD

MN Extension Service

GM Library

CC Historical Society

Community Building

 

 

Emergency Conference

 

 

YMCA



DISCRETIONARY/NON-PROFIT


Discretionary grants were broken into two categories in the 2018 budgeting process, programs related to public health and programs based in arts and culture. To be eligible for County funding programs need to demonstrate a public purpose and also have a specific authorization in State law. In 2018, the County supported public health community programs in the amount of $130,000 including:

Volunteer Attorney

Birch Grove School: Rec.

Legal Aid

Higher Education (RDC)

Senior Center

Birch Grove Foundation

Community Ed: Recreation

 

Arts and culture grants were allocated in 2018 for a total of $15,700; recipients included; Art Colony, Grand Marais Playhouse, WTIP and Northshore Music Association.
Public health applications are reviewed by a subcommittee of the Public Health & Human Services Advisory Committee while arts and culture requests are screened by the County Budget Committee.
 
The County has three primary fund budgets:
  • Public Health & Human Services
  • Highway Department, and 
  • the General Fund. 
The General Fund includes the Sheriff’s Office and public safety and all the other offices and services within the County including; Assessor’s Office, Auditor’s Office, Recorder’s Office, Land Services, Attorney’s Office and the central services of Administration, Information Systems and Emergency Management. The deadline for department budgets is July 27, however those budgets that were available were reviewed in detail by the Committee.
 
The committee also discussed best methods for making the budgeting process available to the public. The County website will again be the primary source for specific budget materials. The full Budget Calendar is available at www.co.cook.mn.us/budget.
 
Watch for more information on the Budget and the work of the Budget Committee in the coming weeks and months. Public meetings to review the draft budget will be scheduled between Aug 15 and Sept 15 throughout the County to allow for community input prior to the adoption of a preliminary levy later in September.

Contact: Jeff Cadwell, 218-387-3637 or [email protected]

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