MOORHEAD, Minn. — The Clay County Board of Commissioners convened on Aug. 4, 2026, addressing key regional agenda items, including a 31 percent proposed reduction in the 2027 public health levy, local legislative policy priorities, and various county infrastructure and program requests.
Public Health Budget and Service Adjustments
Public Health Director Jessica Mickelson and Administrator Brandon Nelson presented the preliminary 2027 Public Health budget overview. The proposed 2027 levy request stands at $1,383,249, marking a $634,009—or 31 percent—reduction from the 2026 levy request of over $2 million.
According to Mickelson and Nelson, the reduction was primarily driven by:
-
Decreased staff salary and benefit expenses following tenured staff retirements and administrative reallocations ($471,681 reduction).
-
The transition of the MnCHOICES program into Social Services ($438,148 reduction).
-
Renegotiated MSHO and MSC+ contracts with Medica.
-
Restructuring the public health clinic from five days to two days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays), generating an $83,000 benefit to the levy.
-
Adjusted environmental health fees, anticipating $40,000 in additional revenue.
These savings were partially offset by adding a 0.6 WIC position ($15,000 cost to the county) and reduced Special Needs Basic Care (SNBC) per-member-per-month reimbursement rates. Mickelson noted that the county was recently notified it did not receive a federal Drug-Free Communities grant, which would have funded a new grant coordinator position.
Chamber of Commerce Budget Presentation
Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shannon Full, alongside Vice President of Public Policy Cale Dunwoody and Vice President of Workforce Jane Vangsness Frisch, presented their annual budget update. The Chamber requested a continuation of the county’s $100,000 annual investment.
Dunwoody detailed the Chamber’s public policy efforts, noting that the organization tracked approximately 130 bills and engaged on 13 policy priorities during the last state legislative session, achieving a 62 percent success rate. Frisch outlined workforce initiatives, noting that the Good Jobs Challenge grant has upskilled 823 individuals into local positions, including over $1.2 million awarded to individuals accessing training through M State.
Legislative Priorities and County Business
The board reviewed policy positions ahead of upcoming Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) policy conferences. Key recurring priorities discussed included SNAP and Medicaid funding, technology modernization, full state funding for community supervision formulas, and addressing statewide shortages in mental health treatment facilities.
The board unanimously passed a motion to draft and send a letter to the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust (MCIT) regarding responsiveness and flexibility to cross-border service partnerships.
In other board action, commissioners:
-
Proclaimed August 2026 as Child Support, Fraud Prevention, and Collections Appreciation Month in Clay County.
-
Approved a request from County Engineer Justin Sorum to reduce retainage on highway project SAP 014-602-031 through Comstock to 1 percent, as remaining work totals under $10,000.
-
Agreed to send an official invitation to the White Earth Reservation leadership requesting an updated presentation regarding their proposed plans and land-in-trust application.
-
Noted that certified 2027 County Program Aid (CPA) from the state is $5,370,467, down approximately $154,000 from $5,524,595 in 2026 due to shifts in tax base capacity formulas.
