Wadena County commissioners set a May 28 meeting with county department heads to discuss possible scenarios for cuts to 2009 county program aid that could amount to $450,000.
The county has always waited on the Legislature but they might meet until July or August, Commissioner Bill Stearns said. In light of this counties should review their budgets this year and prepare for a 50, 40 percent cut in CPA. It's a guess but the county needs to address the possibility, he said. Wadena County can't cut $450,000 without getting into personnel.
"We need to look at worse case scenarios," Chairman Dave Schermerhorn said.
Commissioner Lane Waldahl wants department heads to put together a plan A for cutting services and then create a plan B that would involve cutting people.
"I'm a firm believer that we should keep everybody working because if we lay people off, to me, we just add to the problem that is already there," Waldahl said. "They're going to move out of Wadena County because they're going to look for jobs in other places."
