The Northfield City Council approved a preliminary General Fund budget of just over $17 million for 2023 at 
their regular meeting on Tuesday night. Along with the budget, they approved a property tax levy of 18.5%.
Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell said the increase is necessary for several reasons, and those questioning the amount in the budget should look closer at the details to see why the levy is in double digits again this year.
Public Safety is one of the major driving factors this year. After negotiating new collective bargaining agreements with the various labor unions associated with Northfield Police Officers, it has become necessary to fund the overtime budget properly. The department is also beginning to prepare for the retirement of three supervisory officers in 2024, which makes up more than 40% of the entire supervisory staff. So, a new patrol officer will be hired at the beginning of 2023, in order to promote another officer to a sergeant’s position later in the year.
The Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Squad budget has increased substantially as well. The department will most likely hire a full-time fire chief in January, which will add to the budget, and interim Chief Tom Nelson has instituted new compliance and fire prevention programs that also cost quite a bit of money. Mayor Pownell said between the two departments, they account for 39% of the new budget.
There are other factors as well, she said. Parks need funding, the library is expanding, and the public works department is growing as well. This budget, she said, is taking care of what is necessary.
“Funding a city is not inexpensive and if you allow things to fall into disrepair, it’s only going to be even more expensive later. And so, you will see if there’s not overspending. I would say there’s adequate funding that’s actually being delegated and assigned to different areas so that we can meet the needs of our community.”
The approved budget and levy are, of course, just the preliminary numbers. The council will continue to look at the budget and make further decisions on what is necessary, and the mayor said, she invites the feedback of every Northfield citizen.
“This is still your city,’ she said. “We want to hear from you.”
The City Council will meet in regular session on the first and third Tuesdays of both October and November. Any citizen of Northfield is welcome to address the council before those meetings. And a public hearing on the budget is set for December 6th as well.
Hillmann discusses expectations, referendum in State of the District Address
Northfield Superintendent of Public Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann gave his annual State of the District Address
Hillmann said that the 2022-23 school year is a time to reset expectations of Northfield students, and the district staff and faculty. After three school years that were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone now has to adjust back to a regular school year. He said expectations have been laid out to everyone in the district, including the families of students, about what is necessary to create the right learning environment. The staff and faculty have been given expectations, as well, he said, in detail. Not only has the district defined what high performance looks like within the staff and faculty ranks, but low performance as well. Hillmann said there should be no misunderstanding of what everybody needs to do this year.
Turning to the referendum that will be on the ballot in November, Hillmann described the function of the Capital Improvement Levy. It is, he said, the fund that is used for maintenance on the district buildings, the fund used to buy new equipment for classrooms, grounds and other upkeep responsibilities. And he said it can – and will – be used to pay the salaries of the people working in the technology department. The referendum will ask two questions. The first will be to renew the levy, which was originally passed in 2011. The second will be to expand the levy from $750,000 a year to $1.65 million.
The referendum will appear on the ballots of every area within the Northfield school district.
Voting in the 2022 midterm elections begins tomorrow
Absentee and early voting in Minnesota begins tomorrow.
This year, all statewide elected offices are on the ballot as are all Minnesota legislators and U.S. 
representatives. Also up for election are two Rice County commissioners’ seats, the county sheriff, the county attorney, three Northfield City Council seats, and three Northfield School Board seats.
Rice County voters can vote by mail or in person at the Property Tax and Elections Office in the Rice County Government Services Building. All Rice County voters or those living in Northfield’s Third Ward, which lies in Dakota County, can also cast their ballot at Northfield City Hall. Anyone voting early must fill out an application in order to receive an absentee ballot.
To register to vote, visit the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State website and click on Elections and Voting, then Register to Vote. There you can register online or download forms to complete and mail. Minnesota allows Election Day registration, though that requires proof of residence. The forms and list of acceptable documents is also on the Secretary of State’s website.
That website, and the Elections page on the Rice County website has a full complement of information about voting, elections and candidates for office. Voters can learn who is running for office by simply entering their ZIP Code or name of their county of residence.
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net.
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