Thursday night's TNT hearing didn't result in an explosion of tempers.

Len Miller, 4th District Mower County Commissioner, described the annual Truth-In-Taxation hearing audience of 40 people as "about 50-50" in agreement with the county board's handling of financial matters.

Garry Ellingson, 5th District county commissioner, was pleased. "I think it went well. There weren't as many people as we expected, but I think we all learned something."

Ray Tucker, 2nd District, reiterated what he said during the hearing. "Everybody wants a piece of the pie. We think we're doing the right thing."

Richard P. Cummings, 1st district, said the county is dependent on many "variables" during budget time. "For instance, the $180,000 of the youth and family development monies from reserves that we gave the Parenting Resource Center seems to be helping keep families together. Those are the kinds of things we want to do that come along every once in awhile," Cummings said.

Thursday night's hearing didn't match last year's for citizens' and officials' histrionics.

Only one private citizen spoke in support of the county board's fiscal acuity, Virginia Bissen, rural Rose Creek. All the others were county staff.

Craig Oscarson, county coordinator, told the slim audience at the Ellis Middle School auditorium, the county board still proposes a budget of $34,375,312 for fiscal 2003.

In addition, it is calling for a proposed tax levy of $8,130,800 and a solid waste surcharge of $216,530.

The proposed tax levy represents an increase of $297,613 from 2002's actual levy.

Oscarson said the proposed 2003 budget is similar to 2002's, with a few exceptions. Among those is the creation of 5.5 new positions in county government.

The public has heard this before and it wasn't long Thursday night before the opposition spoke out against the levy increase and other flaws in the budget as they saw them.

But first, Joel Nelson praised the county board for spending $1.7 million on fairgrounds improvements. Nelson said he spoke for the Mower County Fair Board.

Dan Vermilyea, a county feedlot enforcement officer, praised the commissioners' designation of monies for 4-H and youth development. He is a long-time 4-H supporter and former member of the County Extension Committee.

Ann Walter, an Extension Service educator, thanked the commissioners for supporting the changes made to the University of Minnesota's extension Service this summer due to state funding constraints.

Then Malcolm McDonald addressed the commissioners and the hearing's tone changed.

"We continue to see the fund balance grow," McDonald said, "until now it is at the $36 million level and this is despite your designating of funds for different purposes and attempting to spend down the reserves. How were those decisions made? What is the rationale for this continued status quo?"

Miller, the county board chair, insisted, "We are spending those funds down."

He said the county board is doing that by making capital improvement investments, such as the fairgrounds project and using its reserves to balance the budget in other areas.

After Bissen's remarks about how the county board should look at "little things" as cost-savings measures and a reminder from Austin resident Vaughn Bothun to "trim the fat" from county spending, the critics returned to question the commissioners.

Among them was Jerry Reinartz, an appraiser and member of the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce's government affairs committee.

He said the proposed levy increase could be paid from the county's reserves without having to raise anybody's taxes.

Sandy Forstner, executive director of the chamber, challenged the commissioners to "sharpen your pencils" and find ways to reduce spending, while stemming the growth of the county's fund balance and bringing a halt to unnecessary levy increases.

The hearing had been moved to the Ellis Middle School auditorium in anticipation of a large crowd of concerned citizens. Last year's hearing attracted more than 100 people to the commissioners' meeting room in the courthouse.

The commissioners cannot raise the levy, according to state law. They can only reduce it or leave it the same.

The county board will act on the proposed budget and levy when they meet 10 a.m. Dec. 17.

Finance director position approved

At Thursday afternoon's regular meeting of the county board, the commissioners unanimously approved hiring a finance director.

Richard Urbain, an auditing crew chief in the State Auditor's Office, answered questions and pointed out how a finance director could help the commissioners better address financial issues.

The process to recruit a finance director will begin immediately. The new person -- Mower County's first-ever finance director -- is not expected to be on the job until late January.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com