Medford approves 5% levy proposal

Members of the Medford City Council approved the city’s 2026 preliminary levy increase of 5% at their Aug. 25 meeting.

The number indicates an increase over last year of about $40,000; the proposed levy total is $842,086.

The general fund levy grew, reflecting action encouraged by both the state and city auditors, according to City Administrator Elizabeth Jackson.

Building and maintaining a general fund reserve will provide the city with adequate cash flow, she said.

“Reserves are important to have when economic recessions occur, as they provide funds to alleviate sudden reductions in sources of revenue,” she said.

The overall levy increase will fund inflation in the cost of supplies and services, Jackson told councilors, “and allow the city to continue putting funds into the general capital projects fund” to be used for financing future street and/or municipal building projects.

The 2021 Main Street Project levy was cut nearly in half in the proposed levy.

The final levy, which may be lower if council members order further reductions, will be approved in December.

The city’s 2025 final levy was set at 5%, after a preliminary levy proposal of 7%.

In other business, both of the area’s state legislators were at the meeting, sharing goals for the upcoming legislative session.

After hearing a report about the growth of the annual firemen’s dance – which this year drew more than 1,700 people – Councilor Jason Winter turned to the politicians.

“Is there any way you can get money for a fire hall?” he asked.

The city has joined the Ellendale and Owatonna fire departments in planning new headquarters; Ellendale is a bit further along in its process after years of work.

Medford is on its third revised plan in the past 10 years, said Fire Chief Craig Helgeson.

“I will tell you, bonding has been tough for fire halls,” said Sen. John Jasinski (R-Faribault). “You typically have to have a regional effect” to secure funding from a bonding bill – much like the regionalization of the Owatonna-Medford wastewater treatment facility.

“If you fund one fire station, you end up funding about 687, or whatever the number is,” he said.

The state has about 775 fire departments.

Jasinski said both he and Rep. Tom Sexton (R-Waseca) are focused on helping Waseca in the next session, “because they’re actually pumping raw sewage into Clear Lake … so they desperately need” a new wastewater treatment system.

“The bottom line is, we’ve got $4.1 billion in approved, recognized projects in the state of Minnesota just for clean water,” Sexton said.

“Everybody has requests,” Jasinski said, “but I’ve made my pledge to get Waseca taken care of this year. I’d love to bring a (new) fire station to Medford, and someday before I leave I’ll get that done, but this is probably not the year that we’ll see that.”

Community support for the volunteer department continues, as evidenced by the street dance attendance – prompting a potential change of venue.

“Next year, we’re looking to host the dance out at the outlet center,” Helgeson said. “We kind of outgrew” the fire department parking lot, where it’s now held.

Now in its 10^th year, the dance drew 350 people its first year; last year, there were 1,100 – with an additional 600 at the July 19 event.

Helgeson estimated the dance brought in between $20,000 and $30,000 – which will go toward a new fire hall.