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A Fact Sheet on the Need to
<br />Increase the Valley Branch
<br />Watershed District's Administrative
<br />Fund Levy Cap from $125,000 to $200,000
<br />The Valley Branch Watershed District (VBWD) is located in
<br />Ramsey (20%) and Washington (80%) Counties. It stretches
<br />from the southern portions of White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi in
<br />the northwest corner of the district down through all or portions of
<br />North St. Paul, Oakdale, Woodbury, Lake Elmo, Baytown, and West
<br />Lakeland to Afton, in the district's southeast corner, where Valley Creek enters the St. Croix.
<br />The Valley Branch Watershed District is seeking legislation in the 1995 session that would increase its
<br />administrative fund levy cap from $125,000 to $200,000. A watershed district's administrative fund covers
<br />basic expenses for clerical services, auditing services, legal services, inspection services, and, most
<br />importantly, many kinds'of engineering services. The per diems for managers are also paid from the
<br />administrative fund, and so too are small emergency projects and maintenance projects.
<br />The administrative fund cap for all watershed districts is established in statute (MS 103D.905, Subd. 3) and
<br />was last increased in 1983, from $75,000 to $125,000. It has become impossible for the V$WD to meet its
<br />responsibilities and obligations with an administrative fund of $125,000 per year. Its expenses in each of the
<br />last two years have been far in excess of $125,000, as detailed in Table I below, which shows VBWD
<br />administrative fund expenditures for 1992, 1993, and 1994 and projected expenditures for 1995.
<br />1: Valley Branch Watershed District Administrative Fund: Expenses
<br />[Table
<br />Audited 92
<br />Expenses
<br />Audited 93
<br />Expenses
<br />Preaudit 94
<br />Expenses
<br />Projected 95
<br />Expenses
<br />ffice Supplies
<br />$585
<br />$1,031
<br />$687
<br />$750
<br />embership Dues
<br />$1,650
<br />$1,650
<br />$1,650
<br />$1,650
<br />Insurance
<br />$7,922
<br />$7,594
<br />$5,025
<br />$5,100
<br />Secretarial
<br />S4,601
<br />$5,481
<br />$6,031
<br />1 $6,250
<br />Manager's Per Dient & Expenses
<br />$13,939
<br />$12,948
<br />$8,069
<br />$10,000
<br />InspectiorvEnforcement
<br />$2,575
<br />$4,083
<br />$6,639
<br />$7.000
<br />Sampling
<br />$3,243
<br />$5,504
<br />$3,182
<br />$51000
<br />neering Adm & Operations
<br />$76,925
<br />$106,672
<br />$89,932
<br />$85,000
<br />al/Audit
<br />[Lake
<br />$9,113
<br />$14,087
<br />$14,218
<br />$15,000
<br />ial Projects
<br />$0
<br />$20,279
<br />$21,188
<br />$20,000
<br />Level Reports
<br />$218
<br />$228
<br />$225
<br />$250
<br />Other
<br />$2,591
<br />$2,599
<br />$0
<br />$0
<br />FICA Tax
<br />$0
<br />$2,509
<br />$1,849
<br />$21,OW -
<br />Total Expenditures
<br />1 $123,362
<br />$184,665
<br />$157,694
<br />$158,000
<br />J. PETER ZETTERBERG GORDON C. MOOSBRUGGER DAVID PARKIN RAY BRENNER JAMES BUELOW
<br />VALLEY BRANCH WATERSHED DISTRICT
<br />P.O. BOX 838 LAKE ELMO, MINNESOTA 55042.0538
<br />
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