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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The Barnes County budget was approved on a 3 to 2 vote following a 90 minute discussion that focused a lot on why funding for the Barnes County Economic Development Corporation should be reduced from 3.0 mills to 2.5 mills. That argument was spearheaded by commission president Eldred Knutson.

He told the commission that he supports economic development but questioned the amount of money carried over annually in the fund. He also wants a legal opinion on a century code provision that states no county fund should go beyond the 75 percent rule.

The commission approved a preliminary budget of $6,238, 704 a decrease of 3.32 percent compared to $6,489,300 in the previous year. A savings of $250,596 with a decrease in the mill levy from 100.23 to 90.00. Barns County commissioners Knutson and Rodger Berntson voted against the motion.

The motion was favored by commissioner Phil Leitner. He says this budget is a good compromise that many people can live with over the next year.

He says county residential property owners will see a $46 reduction on their taxes for residential property valued at $100,000. Leitner says owner of commercial or agricultural property valued at $100,000 will see a reduction of $51 dollars annually.

Meanwhile at one point during the budget meeting commissioner Rodger Bertnson proposed reducing the funding mill for the North Dakota Winter Show from 2.35 mills to 1.5 mills.

Commissioner John Froelich told Berntson that if we do that we may as well shut down the Winter Show referring to the tight operating costs already associated with the organization.

Auditor Beth Didier reminded Berntson that the North Dakota Winter Show has watched it’s budget closely for years and was barley in the black for operating costs last year.

North Dakota Winter Show manager Dawn Riley told Berntson that repairs to the structure of the 50 year old building had to be made and that was just one unexpected cost setback. She says a number of new events have been added annually to the Winter Show Event Center over the last two years to bring in more money and that has helped the bottom line slightly. Riley says the Winter Show had operated in the red for a number of year before she was able to make some changes and add events as the manager.