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WALKER - The Cass County Board discussed Tuesday the potential impact a state government shutdown would have.

Administrator Robert Yochum said, in addition to the temporary loss of cash flow from the state for several programs if the statlemate between the governor and Republican legislators continues, the biggest potential problem might be the lack of state employees to troubleshoot periodic breakdowns in state computer systems the county uses.

Those could include, but would not be limited to, computer programs to operate health, human and veterans services programs or the court system.

The board agreed Tuesday to require county employees to obtain board approval before the county will spend money to operate state-funded county activities.

Commissioner Neal Gaalswyk expressed his concern that the county might not get reimbursed for some items the county might cover during a shutdown.[[In-content Ad]]

"We've seen how unreliable the state has become the last few years on some prior promises," he said.

The board has authorized County Engineer temporarily to pay from county highway department funds the construction work underway on County State Aid Highway 1. The state does not have power to cut off ultimate payment to the county because those are federal dollars.

The board also authorized Land Commissioner Joshua Stevenson to complete the $500,000 purchase of 400 acres of land from Potlatch even if the purchase must be carried for six months by county land department money.

Ultimately, that money will come from a state grant from the state three-eighths cent sales tax fund that cannot be used for anything other than environmental or arts uses and has been approved for this purchase.

Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.

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