Davison commissioners mull budget, OK alcohol licenses

Talk about it

If it’s July, it’s budget time. On Tuesday, the Davison County commissioners continued grinding through budget books without the help of Commissioner Kim Weitala or Auditor Susan Kiepke, who were both on vacation. The county must assemble a provisional budget by the first week in September and pass a final budget by the end of that month. The commissioners, however, worked without the benefit of any 2013 revenue projections. Commission Chairman John Claggett’s best estimate is that the county will be dealing with a $10 million budget for 2013.

Blaalid licenses approved

In other business, the commissioners approved, with a 4-0 vote, on-sale wine and on- and off-sale malt beverage licenses for Ken Blaalid, the owner of Leader Sporting Goods, for his property at 515 E. Spruce Ave., across from Cabela’s.

Blaalid didn’t disclose his specific plans for the licenses, but he did offer some hints.

“You need all the options you can to make it in business,” he said. “I don’t know how viable gun sales will be in the future.” Blaalid said his brother operates a bait shop in another town and beer sales have added to his business’ bottom line. “You’ve got to change with the times,” he said.

Other business

In other business, the commissioners:

• Accepted the July 13 resignation letter of a full-time corrections officer at the county jail, effective July 15. The officer was not publicly identified and no executive session was conducted, though the agenda included an executive session for an “employee termination.”

• Approved moving part-time corrections officers Kim Beltran and Mike Novak to fulltime status, effective July 24 at a starting wage of $12.13.

• Noted that the county coroner’s budget line is nearly depleted for 2012 and tentatively raised the 2013 budget line for the coroner to $12,896 from the 2012 figure of $9,605.

• Discharged about $90,000 in old debts for ambulance fees, court-appointed attorney fees and indigent medical fees due to bankruptcy or the death of the debtor.

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