St. Louis County Commissioner Keith Musolf, of Hermantown, was on track early Tuesday to become the new board chair and represent a leveling force between colleagues from the Iron Range and Duluth. But in a turn of events, he withdrew from expectations and instead supported re-electing Chisholm-based Chair Mike Jugovich as the leader of the seven-member board.
The win made history. The chair from the Iron Range is now only the second in 100 years to serve as chair for two consecutive years, according to a county spokesperson. Commissioner W.A. Swanstrom served as chair in 1921 and 1922. I am honored to again serve the people of St. Louis County and my fellow commissioners as the Board Chair in 2021, Jugovich said in a statement. While it s out of the ordinary, nothing has been ordinary during this pandemic, so I am pleased to have this opportunity to again serve as we move forward to hopefully brighter and healthier days in the year to come.
St. Louis County Approves $420 Million Budget For 2021
It takes a lot of money for a county to operate well. At their most-recent meeting, the St. Louis County Board unanimously approved it s 2021 budget - totaling $420,280,061. The budget includes line-items specifically tied to county services that have increased due to the COVID-19 Pandemic response. However, it also includes elements that take into account the current uncertainties that exist as well as the need to reduce the financial impact on taxpayers.
According to information released by St. Louis County, the 2021 budget assessed high-priority to providing support for vulnerable adults and children, and individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders. At the same time, the budget also reflects sustained investment in economic development and technology. In addition, the budget for the upcoming year reflects increased investment in roads and bridges and incorporates structural changes to health care and