April is national county government month (NCGM) and this year’s theme is “Connecting the Unconnected,” demonstrating how counties deliver “people-centered” services and connect communities.

Mower County is one of 87 counties in Minnesota and one of 3007 counties across the nation delivering services to 327 million people. Mower County was officially organized in October 1856. The first county courthouse was built in 1868 and cost $6,450.

Mower County is now home to approximately 39,000 citizens who live in 20 townships and 14 incorporated cities.

Featured NCGM events in Mower County include County Government Day, where all students in the junior classes from Mower County’s six school districts are invited to participate in a day to learn about Mower County Government.  A second featured event is the launching of our new emergency communications system, Code Red.

“Mower County is proud of the programs and services we deliver,” said Board Chair Mike Ankeny. “Public service is not always easy, but at the end of the day you know you made a difference in the lives of people and impacted their quality of life.”

A few examples of the services provided last year by Mower County’s 267 employees include:

•Finalized 14 adoptions

•Vaccinated 369 children against infectious diseases

•Screened 426 child maltreatment reports

•Screened 375 adult maltreatment reports

•Completed 571 Home and Community Based Long Term Care Assessments with seniors to identify eligibility for programs and services to enhance their ability to live independently

•Valued 23,000 parcels of property

•Administered 172 Special Ag Homesteads

•Administered 208 Veteran’s Market Value Exclusion applications

•Applied 1,300 homesteads

•Reviewed 918 sales

•Processed 900 passports

•Issued 902 burning permits

•Recorded 6301 documents

•Prosecuted 880 cases

•Supervised 901 offenders on probation

•Collected $66,523.74 in probation fees

•Responded to 11,388 calls for service

•Booked 1,755 inmates

•Housed an average of 64 male and 11 females each day for an overall average daily pop of 75

•Served 759 veterans, bringing in $19,071,000 in earned benefits to veterans and their families

•Secured $40,981 in Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs grants and another $10,000 grant to assist veterans with transportation expenses to medical appointments

•Reconstructed/Resurfaced approximately 40 miles of bituminous surfaced (asphalt) roads; replaced 10 culvert bridges; and replaced 1 conventional bridge structure.  Continued to maintain 400 miles of road and 370 bridges under county jurisdiction

•Processed 47 SSTS (septic) compliance inspections

•Issued 70 SSTS (septic) permits

•Issued 128 zoning permits

•Processed 20 conditional land use permits

•Processed 6 land use variances

•Performed 38 feedlot inspections

•Sponsored 3 feedlot education events – 60 operators attended

•Collected and distributed $48,630,862.42 in local levy tax dollars, including $602,236.41 for HRA and Cedar River and Turtle River Watershed levies,  $11,560,076.75 in school levy dollars, $12,776,918.35 for city and township levies, $21,360,534 for the county levy and $2,441,096.91 in state general tax (note this is only local property tax dollars and does not include state of federal government dollars flowing through the county