WILLMAR -- Spending by the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission is projected to be 1 percent less next year.
The economic development agency's 2009 budget was ratified Thursday by its joint powers board.
For the third year in a row, the tax levy -- $455,000 -- will stay the same.
The Economic Development Commission plans to spend $487,713 next year on programs and services ranging from marketing to business retention. Revenue from local property taxes will be augmented by unspent funds carried over from this year.
Steve Renquist, executive director of the EDC, said the conservative budget was "an acknowledgement of the difficult economy to hold the line."
ADVERTISEMENT
Total expenditures this year are projected at $495,760 but final figures, based on the mid-year budget, are likely to be less, he said.
After a period of rapid growth three years ago, the agency's budget has stabilized, reflecting efforts to more sharply focus its mission of promoting job development and economic health in Kandiyohi County.
"I feel quite good in justifying the expenditures the county and city make through the EDC," Renquist said.
Even in a struggling economy, data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development show that Kandiyohi County has been adding both jobs and workers, he said.
"We're growing in the average weekly dollar value of the jobs," he said. "We're increasing at a rate faster than the other regional centers in Minnesota."
The property tax levy for economic development, measured against the county's population, is the equivalent of $10 a year per Kandiyohi County resident, said Kandiyohi County Commissioner Richard Falk.
"I think we're getting a lot of bang for the buck," he said.
Most categories in the 2009 budget call for level spending next year.
ADVERTISEMENT
The EDC's move this month to new office space means that rental costs will go up by $10,000 for the year.
Renquist said lower utility costs are expected to help offset this.
