ELECTION 2023

Painful decisions ahead for Minnesota school districts after failed levies

Mark Wasson — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT

ST. PAUL — While Minnesota largely saw voters approve proposed school levies across the state this month, more than two dozen school districts, including Rochester and Duluth, saw their voters reject calls for additional funding.

In total, Minnesota voters approved more than $1.46 billion for school projects. About two-thirds of proposed bond proposals in the state won approval. That money will be used for building expansions or to update classroom technology.

It's a different story in cities including Rochester and Duluth, where, with millions of dollars at stake, appeals to voters fell short.

“This was a difficult year to pass levy referendums, especially in Greater Minnesota,” said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota, which represents 427 Minnesota teacher unions. “The districts that failed to pass their referendums will face tough decisions about their budgets, which could affect the quality of education their students receive.”

A tale of two levies

In Rochester, an anti-tax group, “Say No to the Taxman,” sprang up following the district’s decision to seek voter approval for a $10 million-per-year technology levy.

John Whelan, the group’s chairman, said he was ecstatic after the election because his campaign worked hard to spread its position on the referendum.

“I think we had a huge impact … we worked very hard to educate the public about the problems with this referendum,” Whelan said. “The school district needs to analyze what they're doing and change what they’re doing so that kids can get educated and proficient in basic academic skills.”

An opposing group, “Vote Yes,” had its committee members doing community outreach at homecoming parades, in front of social clubs and at public events including Trunk or Treat, all in hopes of driving voters to the polls.

https://infogram.com/2023-school-district-referendum-results-1hxj48pkk7wnq2v?live

Rochester's public school district covers more than just the city of Rochester. It includes a surrounding rural area. The in-city vote narrowly favored the levy, while townships outside of Rochester proper largely tilted against the initiative — especially in one township, Marion, where the number of “no” votes was more than double the number of “yes” votes.

In the end, the referendum failed by just 318 votes.

Prior to the campaign, a district-wide poll showed 56% of respondents supported the initiative.

A similar story played out for the Duluth Public ��s, where a narrow margin defeated a proposed capital projects levy that would have collected $5.3 million per year over the next decade. The levy would have purchased devices, including software, for students and staff. The "no" vote in Duluth was 50.5%.

The rejection of these levies puts the quality of education for students at risk, said Vince Wagner, president of the Rochester Education Association, the union representing teachers in the school district.

He said money from the levy could have been used to lower already-high class sizes in Rochester, where some classes have reached a 32-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio.

“Teachers are doing their best,” Wagner said after he cautioned against further class size growth.

Wagner, who has over 30 years of teaching experience under his belt, said that even the introduction of one additional student to a class can hurt the impact that a teacher can make.

Teachers and the school district have been negotiating a new contract with the hope that the special levy would be approved. Now that it has been rejected, Wagner said it remains to be seen how the parties will grapple with that loss of expected funding.

Rochester teachers marched in protest of class sizes on Nov. 14.

"It’s a lot easier for kids to get lost in the shuffle when there’s more kids in the classroom," Gibbs Elementary fifth grade teacher Andrew Ackerman said during the march. “It means less individual attention for those kids that need help."

The Rochester schools have spent the last two years cutting $21 million from the district budget. Now, district leaders will have to cut $10 million more by the fall of 2024, because special COVID-era funds that the district has relied on will be running out.

"If Rochester wants to provide all its young people with the caliber of education that will enable them to succeed in the economy and in society in which they will live their lives, additional funding for our school district is urgent and essential,” Rochester Public ��s Superintendent Kent Pekel told the Rochester �� Board on Nov. 13.

The district is likely to return to voters again next fall with another referendum.

In Duluth, voters have forced the school district into a similar predicament. One ballot item passed, which allows the school district to refinance already-existing debt. But a second question, with a price tag of $5.3 million per year over the next decade, failed.

"We'll really have to dig deep and assess what we can do to support the areas that aren't funded," Duluth Superintendent John Magas said. "And we'll really have to think about how we can still meet those needs, and depending on the questions, consider going out for another levy or referendum because those needs are still significant for our students."

Part of that district's strategy to compensate for the loss of expected revenues will be to refinance existing debt paid out of the district’s general fund.

This would free up $2.6 million in the general fund to maintain a program that has been funded by temporary federal Elementary and Secondary �� Emergency Relief, or ESSER. The program provides academic and mental health support staff and high school programming to increase student engagement and improve graduation rates.

The school board voted in July to put the referendum questions on the ballot and the district ran an awareness campaign throughout October that included public forums.

November's vote, despite those efforts, followed a similar 2018 technology levy meant to update computers and other tech that was also rejected.

West central Minnesota bucks outstate levy rejection trend

While voters in northern and southern Minnesota largely rejected increased taxes for school funding requests, voters in the west-central Minnesota region approved six of the eight school district requests tracked by the West Central Tribune.

“The referendum questions passed on the Nov. 7 election will make a big difference in the learning environment for our students,” Willmar Public ��s Superintendent Jeff Holm said. “We thank all voters who made their voices heard, and we thank all of you for supporting our students, families, and hard-working staff for believing in the continued success of our thriving community.”

Willmar Public ��s are expected to get an additional $3 million per year in annual revenue and voters said yes to a plan to borrow $6.1 million to build a new middle school gym to replace an undersized facility. The bonding question for the gym passed by just 59 votes.

Voters in the region approved an increase of more than $163 million in school funds that will be used either for building projects or money directly allocated to run the schools.

"The overwhelming support demonstrated by our community ensures that (Minnewaska Area ��s) students will continue to have access to the necessary tools for success in an increasingly digital world over the next 10 years," Superintendent Chip Rankin said. The levy approved by voters for Rankin's school district raises $500,000 per year over the next decade.

Forum Communications reporters Teri Cadeau and Jordan Shearer contributed to this story.
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‘My voice matters’: Felons vote at polls for first time after voting rights restored

Nicole Ki / MPR News — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 19:02:09 GMT

Tuesday was special for Minnesotans like Moncies Franco Sr., who voted for the first time since his voting rights were restored in June thanks to Minnesota’s new Restore the Vote law.

Prior to change, Franco and roughly 55,000 other Minnesotans with a convicted felony could not vote until their full sentence (probation or supervised release) was completed.

“I was nervous,” said Franco about putting his ballot in. “I'm like, oh, okay hold on. Is this legit, is this real? Pinch myself a little bit to wake up. But after those nerves settled, it's like, yeah, I belong here. My voice matters.”

Franco, 42, is on supervised release and would’ve had to wait until 2028 to vote if not for the new law. He brought his husband and son to vote together at Powderhorn Recreation Center in south Minneapolis.

For Franco, being able to vote means breaking a generational cycle of incarceration for his family.

“I’m a third-generation incarcerated adult, meaning my father's uncle was in prison. My father was in prison. And myself. What Restore the Vote has done for me, it’s changed the generational patterns within my family,” Franco said. “I don't want anybody to make decisions about me without me.”

Outside Powderhorn Recreation Center he ran into his friend Zeke Caligiuri, who was there to vote for his first time ever. Caligiuri, 46, was released from prison last year. The two hugged, sharing a moment to appreciate what voting meant to both of them.

Inside the polling center, election workers applauded Caligiuri after he dropped his ballot into the box.

“It feels great,” Caligiuri said. “But it’s also just a lot. You know, it’s the culmination of a lot of work that a lot of people did before I ever got here, right. The idea of voting rights, something that goes back since the beginning of our country in the way they’ve used the votes to control other people. This is a thing, like, part of the reclaiming of our own humanity. So it's hella important for me.”

Caligiuri works with Minnesota Justice Research Center, which is part of the Restore the Vote Coalition, a group of over 50 organizations across Minnesota that have worked since 2014 to get the law passed. Franco joined the effort in 2019 after getting out of prison in 2018.

Daiquawn Michael Burrell-Smith, 26, spent Election Day at the downtown Minneapolis headquarters of T.O.N.E. U.P, another organization in the Restore the Vote Coalition that helps Minnesotans like himself rejoin their communities after incarceration.

The room inside Open Book was filled with about a dozen people who were working the phones and mobilizing people to vote, including notable leaders in the formerly incarcerated community like Myon Burrell and Justin Terrell. Burrell-Smith was making calls to get people to vote on Tuesday before going to the polls himself to cast his first-ever ballot.

"It feels good to be able to vote again,” Burrell-Smith said. “They took five years from me. So being able to come out and actually being able to vote again, it’s a good feeling. Like it’s definitely different, I ain’t never did it so we gone see how it go.”

Also at the T.O.N.E. U.P. headquarters was Kevin Reese, who first was incarcerated when he was a teen and spent more than 14 years locked up. He said voting reminded him of what’s most important to him: democracy and having a voice.

“The idea of being able to vote again to my 18-year-old self that was convicted that day — we live in a revolutionary futuristic time,” said Reese, 37, who is raising his daughter in Brooklyn Park. He founded Until We Are All Free, another organization in the coalition.

“I voted as a homeowner, as a father, as a brother, as an uncle, as a business owner,” said Reese. “I run a nonprofit. So I voted with all of those things in mind. And, you know, I sit here and say, yeah this is amazing, but we have so much more stuff to do.”

The monumental day comes despite two legal challenges that attempted to undercut it. Last Thursday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals struck down a legal challenge by Mille Lacs County District Court Judge Matthew Quinn against Restore the Vote. Quinn had barred at least six defendants from voting as part of their sentences and argued the voting law was unconstitutional.

In an order, Chief Judge Susan Segal wrote that Quinn had no authority to declare the law unconstitutional. And Segal said Quinn’s actions were “unauthorized by law.”

Another lawsuit by conservative voter’s group Minnesota Voters Alliance is pending in Anoka County before District Court Judge Thomas Lehmann. A first hearing was held on Oct. 30, but Lehmann has not issued a ruling on the case yet.

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Voters head to the polls to decide how to fund the new Beltrami County Jail

Annalise Braught — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 17:09:50 GMT

BEMIDJI — Beltrami County residents flocked to the polls for Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, with many residents having just one item on their ballot: a choice on how to fund a new jail for the county.

The options presented include funding the jail through property taxes or a local options sales tax, with the full ballot language reading:

“The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners has voted to construct a new County Jail at an estimated cost of $80 million. Taxpayers have a choice as to how to fund the project. Shall Beltrami County establish a five-eighths of one percent (.625%) sales and use tax to pay for constructing and financing the new jail?

“A YES vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through the sales and use tax which would remain in effect for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.

“A NO vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through increased property taxes for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.”

Polls are open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with voting locations in Bemidji organized by ward of residency.

Ward 1: American Indian Resource Center, 1630 Birchmont Drive NE Ward 2: Bemidji National Guard Armory, 1430 23rd Street NW Ward 3: Boys and Girls Club, 1600 Minnesota Avenue NW Ward 4: City Hall, 317 Fourth Street NW Ward 5: Northwest Technical College Commons, 905 Grant Avenue SE

Residents outside of Bemidji can find their polling locations at pollfinder.sos.mn.gov.

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Vote on funding new Beltrami County Jail approaching on Nov. 7

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 19:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — Election Day is quickly approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and many Beltrami County residents will have just one item on their ballot: a referendum on how to fund a new jail for the county.

The options presented will be funding the jail through property taxes or a local options sales tax, with the full ballot language reading:

“A YES vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through the sales and use tax which would remain in effect for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.

“A NO vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through increased property taxes for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.”

Polls on Tuesday will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with voting locations in Bemidji organized by ward of residency.

Residents outside of Bemidji can find their polling locations at pollfinder.sos.mn.gov.

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What do city councils do and why should I vote in the elections for mine?

Nicole Ki / MPR News — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:41:04 GMT

ST. PAUL — Local races for city councils across the state including in St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth are underway and on Tuesday voters will decide who will represent their ward. It’s an off-year election, which means fewer people vote than in a statewide or general election.

This year, every seat on the Minneapolis and St. Paul city councils is up for grabs, meaning the election could bring great change to those cities. Here are some commonly asked questions about city councils, what they do and how effective they really are, answered.

What is a city council?

A city council is a group of people that live in a community and come together to make decisions on behalf of everyone that lives there. That’s according to Luke Fischer, executive director of League of Minnesota Cities, a Minneapolis-based membership association representing thousands of city leaders and elected staff across Minnesota.

“The most common type of city council in Minnesota is probably a five-member city council,” Fischer said. “And that means that there is a mayor and four council members.”

Size can range, with others having up to 13 like in Minneapolis (bigger cities across the U.S. have even more). There are 855 cities in the state of Minnesota, which means there are 855 city councils.

This year, 19 cities are having regularly scheduled elections for mayor or city council. A mayor is usually the head of the city council, but not always. More on that below.

What do city councils have power over?

They’re responsible for setting the strategic direction of the city, from setting a yearly budget to creating policy for various departments to provide services to residents (think planning and zoning, police and fire or public works).

In Minneapolis, the public works department is the arm of the city that provides water, trash and recycling pickup and street maintenance to its roughly 425,000 residents. City council approves funding for them and other departments and sets guidelines they must follow.

“The city owns thousands of miles of streets — which the public owns, then — and helps manage those streets,” said Cam Gordon, who represented the east part of Minneapolis from 2006 to 2022 as the only Green Party member in city council. That includes building and repairing streets.

“One of the biggest things that councils have power over is setting the budget and approving the property tax levy,” said Gordon, which affects how much residents and businesses pay in property taxes.

Another big thing is the city council has the power to regulate building sizes and establish where industrial, commercial and residential uses should be.

City councils take up the day-to-day issues that residents run into, like a stoplight not working.

“City councils often have an individual complaint or observation that they hopefully try to elevate to a larger level,” said former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who was mayor from 2002 to 2014.

“Often with the city council members, they’re the closest person to the community and it’s the person who very often you can call to get the most direct response. The city council member can then change and solve that problem,” Rybak said.

Are all city councils the same?

The short answer is no. The long answer is it depends on if the city is a “home rule charter” city, meaning it has a charter, which is basically its own constitution. That can dictate the number of members on a city council and let voters to have a bit more control over their city government powers compared to the other type of cities, which are “statutory” cities, according to a League of Minnesota Cities handbook.

The biggest difference between a charter and statutory city is how it runs organizationally. Most cities in Minnesota are incorporated as statutory.

“So every city gets all of their authority from the state, then the state can change the rules on cities — what they can and can’t do — in the state legislature,” Gordon said. “In Minnesota, there are some ‘home rule’ or charter cities and Minneapolis is one of them. St. Paul. Generally they’re larger cities. Duluth, Bloomington, Rochester. And they have their own charter that sets their own rules and they can be run differently.”

Charter cities exercise any power outlined in their locally adopted charter as long as they don’t conflict with Minnesota laws. They have to get the state to approve their charter.

What does it mean if my city has a ‘weak’ or ‘strong’ mayor?

A majority of city councils in Minnesota operate as a weak-mayor council, which means that “the mayor has the same vote as everybody else does on the city council, just one vote,” according to Fischer.

By contrast, a mayor under a strong-mayor council oftentimes doesn’t vote or participate in council discussion but has the ability to veto an action of the council. You can think of a “strong” mayor as the “CEO” of the day-to-day operations of a city, according to Fischer.

Only four cities in Minnesota have a strong-mayor council: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and St. Cloud. In 2021, Minneapolis adopted a strong-mayor council structure after operating on a variation of a weak-mayor council.

How can I impact my city council?

Attending a city council meeting and making your voice heard can influence a vote or the way certain issues are discussed.

“So often, one person who makes sense at a council meeting can change a vote,” Rybak said. “I don’t think people have any idea how much impact one person speaking in a council meeting can really have.”

Organizing with others is another way to have a huge impact on city council, Gordon said. Take for example, Minneapolis’s Climate Equity Plan.

“The groundwork has been laid for a long time on this moving forward, but there were actually people organizing ward by ward to meet with their councilmember, planning a meeting, organizing a meeting, having other people with you at the meeting,” Gordon said. “And having really clear asks can have dramatic influence.”

Your voice is more likely to be heard at the local level. Gordon said it’s impressive if councilmembers get even 10 emails from constituents on an important decision.

“That’s a lot of people weighing in on a decision, and it gets your attention,” said Gordon. “So you can imagine if you get 50 or 100, or you get to different groups who want to meet with you about an issue, those things do make a dramatic difference at the local level.”

How can I learn more about my city council?

Fischer advises anyone who’s interested in learning about their local city council or wants a say in what’s happening in their community should check their city’s website.

“You can call a city councilmember or a mayor and ask questions,” Fischer said. “And I can guarantee you they’re going to be interested and excited that you want to know more, and they want to hear from you.”

Going to city council meetings and community engagement events around topics that personally interest you are other ways to get informed on your city council. Rybak suggests following local news outlets, like MPR News, Sahan Journal and MinnPost, to learn about what a city council is deciding on and how you can get involved.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: This issue is also a matter of values and equity

Matt Wess, Bemidji — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 11:30:00 GMT

The new Beltrami County Jail issue is not only a matter of justice as addressed in Mr. Henningsgaard’s detailed commentary published on Oct. 21. The issue is also a matter of values and equity.

We as a community recently voted against funding our school system to an appropriate level. Are we now going to fund a new jail? How shameful! Funding our schools and social infrastructure will benefit us more. A new school funding measure should be on the ballot side by side with the issue of funding a new jail. Make us vote on what our core values are as a community.

I guess a new jail needs to be built. I do not mind paying my fair share, but what is fair? We have a marginal tax rate at the state and federal levels for a reason. They are designed to ensure the burden of taxation is equitable across income levels.

With our current level of technology, we should be able to tax locally in this same manner. Tax for a new jail according to overall affluence not as a flat rate. As a flat tax rate, even .625% impacts the poorer members of our community disproportionately.

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What you need to know about voting to fund the new Beltrami County Jail

Nicole Ronchetti — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — With Election Day quickly approaching, many Beltrami County residents will have just one item on their ballot: a referendum on how to fund the new jail for the county.

But what exactly does the referendum mean, and what does a "yes" or "no" vote entail for the project?

The county has been pursuing a solution to its aging jail since 2019 when the Minnesota Department of Corrections stated that the facility, built in 1989, no longer met state standards. An extensive feasibility study later presented seven options for the county, ranging from doing nothing to building a completely new facility.

In November 2022, the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of building a new jail, citing its lower long-term costs to the county. Since then, the county has looked to find a suitable site for the facility and decide on how the $80 million dollar project will be funded.

This leads to the question on November’s ballot, which will ask county residents how they want to pay for the jail — through property taxes or through a local option sales tax?

The full language for the ballot question reads as follows: “The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners has voted to construct a new County Jail at an estimated cost of $80 million. Taxpayers have a choice as to how to fund the project. Shall Beltrami County establish a five-eighths of one percent (.625%) sales and use tax to pay for constructing and financing the new jail?

“A YES vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through the sales and use tax which would remain in effect for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.

“A NO vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through increased property taxes for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.”

Voting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 7, throughout Beltrami County. Visit pollfinder.sos.mn.gov to see the hours and location of your local polling place.

What is a local option sales tax?

The county is expecting to take out bonds to pay for the jail project, which means it will need a source of revenue to make payments on those bonds.

In addition to seeking funding from the state and federal governments, which while not out of the question has so far been unsuccessful, two of the other options for the county are those explained on the ballot.

“The county obviously doesn’t have an established revenue stream to take out an $80 million bond for the new jail, so we have to establish a new revenue source,” explained County Administrator Tom Barry. “We’re going to have to come up with around $5.3 to $5.6 million in additional funding annually in order to make the bond facilities.”

Barry also explained the impact increased property taxes would have compared to a local option sales tax.

“Property taxes (would have) anybody who owns property, and indirectly anyone who rents property, see an increase in their property tax or rental rates,” Barry said. “The sales tax collects money at the point of purchase (of eligible items) and it doesn’t matter who makes that purchase, so visitors that come to Beltrami County would be sharing in the cost.”

A study that the county did with the University of Minnesota’s extension office estimated that 50% of funding through a sales tax would come from non-county residents, decreasing the overall cost of the jail for local residents.

Since the sales tax would also only apply to certain eligible goods, which can be found on the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s website and largely exempts household staples, it could also mitigate the financial burden of the project for the county’s poorest residents.

“We’re the second poorest county in the state and our board is very aware of that,” Barry said. “(In a county) with a low median household income, where the majority of the purchases in those households tend to be staples (which are exempted from the tax), I believe and the board believes that it will help insulate our most vulnerable citizens from the financial impacts.”

What happens if the referendum fails?

County officials have also emphasized that if the referendum fails, the jail will still be built and a "no" vote on the ballot is not a vote against the project.

“The ballot question is not ‘Do you want to build a new jail or not?’ it is ‘We are building a new jail, how do you want to pay for it?’” Barry said, “It’s extraordinarily important to differentiate that.”

Both because the board of commissioners has already made the decision to build a new jail, and because the DOC is mandating some sort of action unless the county wants its facility forcibly closed, the new jail will still be constructed if the referendum fails.

If the sales tax isn’t approved, Barry explained that the county board could take one of several options.

First, the county could slow the project down, which Barry emphasized would come with a substantial cost.

“Right now we’re on an aggressive timetable and the reason (for that) is we’re racing inflation,” Barry said. “Inflation is adding around $250,000 a month to the project cost.”

Slowing down the project would also mean a longer period of time housing inmates outside of the county, which currently costs around $117,000 a month and is only increasing.

Another option the county board could take is to pursue another sales tax referendum next year since its legislative approval extends for two years.

The final option is the board could accept the referendum’s outcome and fund the project through increasing property taxes.

Jail size, staffing and transportation concerns

While not directly related to the referendum, other community concerns with the jail project were also addressed, such as questions about the size of the planned jail.

Currently, the planned capacity for the new jail is 242 beds, which Sheriff Jason Riggs explained is designed to meet the community’s 30-year needs.

“With our current daily population (needs) in the jail would be 190 beds. In 2023, we would need 190 beds for that flex capacity,” Riggs shared. “It’s not a far stretch to say that in 30 years we could potentially need 50 more beds.”

The reasons behind this need for space vary, from the community’s growing population to the need for room to safely house individuals away from one another.

“I can’t house a misdemeanor offense with someone (charged with a serious crime), we have to have the space to keep people separated,” Riggs explained.

Those extra beds allow for the facility to use them as needed and grow into the extra space over the years. They could also provide an opportunity for the county to offset operational costs by leasing the extra beds out to other counties, as it is currently doing with inmates unable to be housed in the current facility.

“We can either leave (those extra beds) empty and close off that wing or unit and just move into it as we need, or we can lease out that space to other communities and get revenue from them,” Barry said. “That would offset our operational costs and drive down the (amount of the) tax levy.”

By building the facility to meet anticipated future needs rather than current numbers, Barry said that it will also reduce the need to do expansions in the future and that it’s also “buying future beds at today’s price.”

“You don’t build the maximum capacity you think you’ll have today because in a year or two, or three you’ll have to do another expansion and another expansion after that,” Barry said. “We’re building it (this size) so we don’t have to keep building on and on, which is one of the reasons we’re in the pickle we’re in because we did that with the (current facility).”

Despite being a larger jail, Barry also clarified that it would not necessarily have higher staffing needs. The way the current jail is constructed, the staff-to-inmate ratio sits at one to 12. With a more thoughtfully designed facility, that ratio could be improved.

“We’re being very attentive about how we build a facility that is not going to be staff intensive because more staff is more difficult for us to recruit and keep employed,” Barry said. “We’re hoping to get as many as three times the number of inmates watched by one staff (member) than we currently have.”

Another concern brought up by community members, particularly after the county selected a property to construct the new jail on, was the cost of transportation.

Riggs explained that due to the increased use of virtual hearings, transportation to and from the jail to the courthouse will have minimal cost and that the larger transportation cost is currently coming from driving inmates several hours to other counties’ jails so that they can be housed.

Efforts to reduce recidivism

Riggs also shared that the county remains committed to its efforts to reduce recidivism and provide programming and resources to those inside of the jail — from its reset program that connects inmates with everything from treatment to housing, to its efforts to address mental health concerns among the jail’s population.

“That’s all parallel right now, in the background, because this jail project happens to be taking up a lot of bandwidth,” Riggs said. “These are things that just don’t see a lot of light in the community yet… (our community) is making efforts to try and do these things, we are working on those problems.”

Jail Administrator Calandra Allen also highlighted the current programming available at the jail, and her hope that with increased space at the new facility, those programs can be improved and expanded.

“In the jails 20 years ago you locked up the people who broke the law, that’s it. We didn’t offer a library, we didn’t offer mental health, treatment, banking, education, I can keep going on,” Allen said. “Anything you can do (outside of the jail) we can offer within those four walls at a certain aspect or level.”

All of these help reduce recidivism, and Barry shared that no one at the county is looking to increase its jail population or to lock up more community members.

“Nobody wants to lock our way out of this. The reality is we are working hard to keep people out of that facility,” Barry said. “We want (a stay in the jail) to be a one-time stint.”

In closing, Barry explained that the county has no choice but to build a new facility, both for the safety of its staff and its inmates, and that the main question now is how that facility will be paid for.

“(The county board) wants citizens to be educated and involved and ultimately have a say in how the facility gets built and how it gets paid for,” Barry said. “It’s important to our board that there’s a choice here.”

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Commentary: This is a matter of justice

John Henningsgard, Bemidji — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 11:30:00 GMT

I write as a citizen representative on the Beltrami County Jail Steering Committee in the hope that my perspective provides food for thought for this fall’s ballot question.

The question reads:

The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners has voted to construct a new county jail at an estimated cost of $80 million. Taxpayers have a choice as to how to fund the project. Shall Beltrami County establish a five-eighths or 0.625% sales and use tax to pay for constructing and financing a new jail?

A YES vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through the sales and use tax which would remain in effect for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.

A NO vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through increased property taxes for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.

Note: The question asks for permission to raise our sales tax so as to pay for the construction and financing of a new jail. Total costs for the project after 30 years are expected to be around $160 million, as the interest on the bonds will roughly match the construction costs. That number, $160 million, is rarely shared.

If I vote YES on the question and the sales tax is approved, the project will proceed as it stands: we will build a 242-bed facility on a nine-acre lot in the industrial park.

If I vote NO and the question fails — and if the community subsequently takes a stand in opposition to the size, funding and/or location of the proposed jail — there is a chance that the county board will alter its approach. I have been assured of this possibility by several members of the county board, two current and one former.

My conscience dictates: I will vote NO. Allow me to explain.

Nearly two years ago, the county board hired Justice Planners to create a Jail Project Needs Assessment and Feasibility Report. Justice Planners interviewed various stakeholders with regard to the jail and its operation. In one such interview, an anonymous Beltrami County judge, eager to support a new jail, commented, “You build it, and we’ll fill it.”

Think about that. A Beltrami County judge said of a prospective jail: “You build it, and we’ll fill it.”

Reading those words for the first time, members of the steering committee glanced about the room. Several spoke. They felt the judge’s comment could be harmful to “our efforts.” That it could convey the wrong sentiments.

So, despite the steering committee’s repeated pledge of transparency, it voted to remove the comment from the report. Well, they can erase the comment, but they can’t bury the sentiment.

And that’s my fear — that this idea lives on. The idea that if we simply lock up another hundred or more people we’ll be safe, that things will be good. And that’s why I persist in my efforts to downsize this project. Because if we build a 242-bed jail, we will fill it. And we’ll fill it largely with Native Americans; we have proven that.

We will fill 242 beds almost entirely with underprivileged, less-educated members of our community (see Beltrami County graduation rates) because they struggle in school and have fewer opportunities, and because they lack the means to pay bail and must await trial in jail, separated from their families and work. Approximately 75% of our inmates are pre-trial.

Do any of us seriously believe there is no correlation between our county’s low graduation rates, high poverty rates and our number of inmates?

A year ago, as a community, we were invited to participate in a jail survey. The survey led with several questions regarding jail programming (e.g. How important is it that inmate reentry services aimed at reducing repeat offenses are offered at the County Jail? or How important is it to you that inmate re-entry services aimed at reducing repeat offenses are offered at the County Jail?).

These questions led us to infer that a new jail would offer new and improved programming. Not so. To the best of my knowledge, none of the $160 million is budgeted for new programming. A new facility would provide more space, and that’s good, but volunteers would continue to do the bulk of the programming: think Bible study and GED classes. But one can’t help but wonder: If this programming has been sufficient, why are we not seeing better results?

Many of you used the survey to write thoughtful comments regarding the jail and justice system. The steering committee looked at a few of those comments. Very few. Essentially, you were ignored.

Instead, the steering committee — and the county board — focused its attention almost entirely on the horse race between the options for a new or renovated facility. Much was lost in the process, including the various ways to reduce the jail population as suggested in the System Recommendations (p52-55) of the report.

IGNORED: Ways to address the inmates' newly increased average length of stay (ALOS), far and away the principal driver in the projections for an increasing jail population. IGNORED: Developing a central receiving center “as an option other than jail” in which to care for individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues MORE CAN BE DONE: “Redesign and expand the Electronic Home Monitoring program... to between 8% and 33% of the population.” Why are we ignoring options that could directly impact our jail population, the crux of our problem? Could it be that the process has been contrived from the start? Why does the former sheriff insist on using short-term data to stoke fear over an increasing rate of crime, when the needs assessment — commissioned by you, the taxpayer, so as to obtain long-term, more reliable data — reports just the opposite? (p8-9 of the report) Why does the jail administrator say nothing as Justice Planners shares estimates with inflated costs for travel to and from out-of-county jails — estimates which greatly spike the costs for all but the new jail option in the survey — only to speak up after the vote to build a new jail, saying we don’t need to consider travel costs from a remote jail (to the courthouse) because electronic court hearings have minimized inmate travel? We all know money talks, so why is the company hired to lead the jail study process — including all committee work, the survey, outreach and more — now in line to oversee the construction process?

This is, indeed, a matter of justice.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Be sure to vote on financing the new jail

Barbara Zentek, Bemidji — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:15:00 GMT

Be sure to vote on this issue of financing the new county jail.

On the ballot:

A yes vote means that the majority of the costs will be financed through a local sales tax which would remain in effect for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.

A no vote means that the majority of the costs would be financed through increased property taxes for 30 years or until the bonds are retired, whichever comes first.

The local option sales tax would be five-eights of a cent or 0.625% which equates to 50 cents for every $80 of eligible sales made in the county and would not apply to necessities like clothing, food, cars and general services/labor costs.

If the sales tax is not approved, property taxes will possibly increase by 20% for the next 30 years. You can vote early now at the administration building in Bemidji or on Election Day, Nov. 7, at your local polling place.

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