Letter: Commissioner Kangas should have gone with low bid on official newspaper vote

WADENA — According to Minnesota Statute 375.12, the county board is required to have official proceedings of its sessions published in a qualified newspaper of general circulation in the county.

The publication must be let annually by contract to the lowest bidder, at the first regular session of the board in January each year. Based on this statute, there is no justification for this erroneous formula being used by District 5 Commissioner Jon Kangas to defend his voting decision.

All the legal newspapers in Wadena County submitted bids as required by law. Instead of publicly attacking a small county business as you did in a recent letter to the editor about the Verndale Sun and bid process, it would be more appropriate for you to discuss with those other newspapers why their bids were higher.

It is important to note that this decision-making process is in line with the oath of office taken by Mr. Kangas to follow the law.

Furthermore, it is concerning that Mr. Kangas had previously proposed to dissolve the county at the July 12, 2022 and November 28, 2022 meetings.

He also talked about selling the fairgrounds “for the financial trouble the county is in” at the Oct. 11, 2022 and Nov. 28, 2022 meetings as cost saving measures.

Yet now he has voted against a legal bid process which took the lowest bid and one that saves the county money.

So in short, your auditor-treasurer was correct in saying that if you don’t take the lowest bid, then why bid? So what’s the why? Because Minnesota law requires it.

I respectfully disagree with your approach and process in this matter Mr. Kangas.

(Ray Benning is publisher of the Verndale Sun newspaper)