I am honored to serve as Chairman of the Board this year as I begin my third year as your County Commissioner. I oversee running our meetings, and I sign all legal documents. There are other requirements as the Chair, but otherwise my duties are the same, especially being your voice with anything regarding you and our County.
Discussions continue with the Justice Center and what the final design will look like. It’s unbelievable how much additional work this involves with the Board and a lot of other people. It’s a huge project, and a huge responsibility to get it right for the next 50-plus years. I take that responsibility very seriously. I continue to ask the tough questions, and am trying to be fiscally responsible to the residents of District 3 and the County as a whole. I feel good that one floor has been removed as part of our discussions. I am asking for some public sessions to share where things are at, and to listen to what residents have to say about the project. Please watch for and attend that session when I schedule it.
One of the Committees I serve on is the Stearns County Extension Committee. The Extension Service has changed a lot since I was a young man, but it still can be a valuable resource for about anything you need advice on. Business, farming, gardening, questions about bugs or trees. Check them out some time. It’s a service we are paying for, so you may as well utilize that resource. They can be reached at mnext-stearns@umn.edu or (320) 200-3133.
I once again attended the Association of Minnesota -Counties (AMC) Annual meeting late last year. More than 600 County Commissioners, Department Directors,
etc. attend, and there is a lot of information that is shared. I am getting to know more people across the State, which comes in handy as we deal with similar issues. Those people are great partners when we deal with similar issues.
I am attempting to have an evening meeting in a remote area of District 3. Instead of meeting at 9 a. m., in downtown St. Cloud, it would give working people a chance to see County government in action, in their backyard. Not all Commissioners support the idea because they are less concerned about the rural part of the County. I hope most of us will be open to the idea.
I have been appointed by the Association of Minnesota Counties to the Statewide Emergency Services Communications Board. This will allow me to advocate for our rural fire departments, first responders, law enforcement, etc. I’m honored to be able to advocate for these dedicated folks who protect us every day.
Every meeting, we approve millions of dollars in expenditures. Typically there are 35 to 40 pages of disbursements, and I try to review each and every one. I ask questions on the ones that tweak my interest. I found one such expenditure recently on our agenda. We spend $225,000 annually on interrupting services. We paid for more than a hundred burials in 2024. The issues we are involved with continue to amaze me. Many of these are mandated services by the federal and state levels that we have to provide.
We ask the St. Cloud Airport Board to report to our Board. A lot of people don’t even know this Board exists. We became concerned late last year when we were informed that this Board was going to begin a million-dollar assessment to residents. We were able to stop that assessment, but have been told that residents will be assessed that amount in 2026, and maybe more into the future. That concerns me. We can’t directly control those assessments. I support the St. Cloud Airport, but I encouraged them to expand their business model and become profitable on their own, not only relying on tax dollars. That could really become a black hole. That airport is not in Stearns County. Paynesville, -Brooten, and Sauk Centre Airports are in -Stearns County.
I keep in touch with our State legislators and our Washington officials. We have a great working relationship, and we should. We are representing the same people: YOU. I testified on behalf of -Stearns County in front of the Tax Committee. The Association of Minnesota Counties has our legislative conference set where we once again meet with State officials. It’s all about relationships and communication with each other.
I continue to assist a lot of residents on a host of issues they are having. Most are related to environmental services and Human Services. I spend many hours trying to connect the dots to make people’s lives better. I keep asking all departments to work WITH residents, not against them. I feel and hope I am making a difference. I’m trying to.
Please remember a former District 5 County Commissioner and friend, Bob Wensman of Sauk -Centre. Bob has District 3 relationships and was very active in the Sauk Centre area. He passed away at the age of 93. Thank you, Bob, for everything you did in your life.
As always, feel free to contact me if you are having any issues with government, or if you have thoughts on any issue we are dealing with. You can reach me at Jeff.Bertram@StearnsCountyMN.gov or (320) 250-6999. Check in on the Stearns County website to stay informed. Stay connected with your local cities and townships as well. Thank you for the honor of serving you as your County Commissioner.
Jeff Bertram Commissioner Stearns County – District 3 Chairman of the Board
(320) 250-6999