A budget that's 14 percent lower than the current fiscal year's spending plan — with no salary increases — will be outlined at the Annual Meeting of Kasson Township inhabitants Saturday at 10 a.m.

No salary resolutions were adopted by the board at its Feb. 5 meeting. By law, compensation for township representative must be spelled out in a salary resolution a minimum of 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting.

Because no resolution was passed at the board level, any increase in compensation will have to come in the form of a motion from the audience attending the spring meeting, which traditionally has been held on the last Saturday of March.

If no action is taken to increase salaries Saturday, compensation for 2007-08 would remain at the same level as the current fiscal year, which concludes Saturday. Current annual salary levels are $8,200 for supervisor, $12,300 for clerk, and $11,800 for treasurer.

Township officials expect some $206,912 in revenues for 2007-08. Just over half of Kasson’s revenue is expected to come in the form of state shared revenue ($107,000). Another $46,000 is anticipated in property tax revenue, plus $32,000 from a landfill impact fee paid exclusively throughout the state to communities in which landfills are situated. Glen’s Landfill is located in Kasson.

The largest expense for the township in 2006-07 was legal fees, an area that township officials estimated that they’d spend about $142,000 last year. The budget was later amended, however, to reflect additional money taken from the fund balance to cover $175,000 in legal bills, much of which resulted from the township’s defense of a lawsuit over a rezoning for gravel extraction. It also resulted in the township dipping into its fund balance for $43,077 to cover additional expenses.

With a May 2006 court decision against the township and for plaintiff Edith Kyser, gravel extraction could begin on her 115.6-acre parcel located near M-72 and County Road 669. However, it may not mean the end of legal fees for this case. The township is appealing the decision issued by Circuit Court Judge Thomas G. Power.
Some $50,000 is earmarked for legal fees in 2007-08.

The other major expense for the township will continue to be contractual fire and rescue services. Kasson Township contracted for fire protection with Empire and Cedar departments, which cost $73,600. The figure is anticipated to grow to $88,500 next year.