by Andrew Miller
Thisweek Newspapers

Scott County is taking advantage of new legislation that allows local governments to propose reforms of state mandates.

The Scott County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 28 approved a list of 12 mandates it would like to see repealed or reformed.

Some of the county's requests in the mandate reform proposals include:

ï Allowing publication of county board meeting minutes on the county's Web site, rather than requiring them to be published in a newspaper;

ï Allowing counties to publish their annual budget summaries and financial statements on their Web sites rather than in newspapers;

ï Not requiring counties to pay state sales and use taxes, which the Minnesota Legislature enacted in the 1990s during the state budget crisis (Scott County objects on the grounds that it is "a situation of one government taxing another.î);

ï Having the state fully fund short-term placement of state felony offenders in county jails (The County Board's rationale is that "county jails are ill-suited to provide the supervision and programming needed for these serious offenders.î);

ï Having the state fully fund the program that keeps juvenile lawbreakers out of the adult penal system and within the juvenile system until age 21.

Scott County submitted its requests for mandate reform to the state auditor March 3. All proposed reforms submitted by local government bodies will be posted on the state auditor's Web site.

The county's 12 mandate reform proposals were items recommended by county staff, as well as some recommended by the Association of Minnesota Counties and the Metropolitan Inter-County Association.

The intent of the proposals is to make county government more efficient, but not eliminate or drastically alter any existing service, according to a county memo.

The county's proposed reforms will also be presented to the Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency (SCALE) on March 10.

SCALE will pool the county's recommendations for mandate reform with those of cities and townships, and then submit the aggregate list to the state auditor.

Of the seven metro counties, Scott County and three others have already submitted mandate reform proposals to the state auditor. Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota counties have yet to submit.

This is the first year counties have had the opportunity to submit mandate requests to the state auditor -- legislation permitting it was enacted in 2005.

The county will now submit mandate reform proposals on an annual basis, according to Brian Hanninen, management analyst for Scott County.

The idea is that the proposed mandate reforms posted on the state auditor's Web site will help legislators identify mandates of high concern to local governments throughout the state.

How the Minnesota Legislature will act on the requests received this year remains uncertain.

Hanninen, who presented the 12 mandate requests on behalf of county staff to the board for final approval Tuesday, is optimistic that the more non-controversial proposals, such as the request to post county board meeting minutes on the Web, will get approval from state legislators.

"I would think maybe a few [proposals] will get through,î Hanninen said.

To view a current list of mandate reform proposals submitted by local government bodies, visit www.auditor.state.mn.us.

Andrew Miller is at savage.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

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