Some Chickasaw County departments have been directed to make staff cuts in an effort to close the gap on a budget shortfall for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
During a meeting Monday (02.24), Chickasaw County Supervisors addressed budget projections of County expenditures outpacing revenues by almost $750,000 by the end of the ‘25-26 fiscal year on June 30, 2026. That would also leave the County with an ending fund balance of around 19% of the overall budget. A 25% ending fund balance is preferred so the County has sufficient funds to operate until tax revenue comes in by the Fall of ’26. However, some $360,000 in cuts are needed to get there.
Supervisor Isaac Carter said staff cuts must be a part of closing that gap.
County Attorney David Laudner acknowledged that staff consolidation is also likely to occur in the near future.
Supervisor Steven Breitbach said it’s only going to get tougher for counties financially.
Supervisors have directed Chickasaw County Sheriff Ryan Shawver, County Auditor Sheila Shekelton and County Treasurer Matthew Ysbrand to cut their staff by one person each, with Public Health Administrator Lisa Welter to not fill a proposed part-time position and either cut one full-time person or two part-timers. All would be effective when the new fiscal year begins July 1st.
Other possible cost-saving measures discussed included a reduction of hours of operation for the Chickasaw County Courthouse, wage freezes, and selling off County-owned properties which could result in consolidation of some offices. That also could mean displacing some non-County service agencies.
Supervisors will meet again Thursday (02.27) morning to continue the budget process.
Another idea receiving more discussion Monday was reducing the Board of Supervisors from the current five members down to three, like Floyd County. Supervisor Jacob Hackman, who offered the idea a few weeks ago, noted that type of change would require a public petition for it and placed on a ballot for voters to decide.
Another component would be whether to go with districts in which the Supervisor must reside in to serve in office as it does now with the five supervisor board, but that would require new district maps of equal population. That process could take up to two years.
Hackman noted that supervisors could be elected at-large, but that creates the possibility that all three supervisors could be from New Hampton.
