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BACKUS - Assessor Mark Peterson reported Cass County foreclosures dropped significantly in the third quarter this year.

In 2013, there were 31 third quarter foreclosures. That dropped to 21 this year, with the largest decline shown in non-homesteaded residential properties (vacation homes).

The highest number continues to be for lower valued properties. The third quarter this year there were 11 foreclosures valued $100,000 or less. None were worth over $400,000.

In 2013, there were two foreclosures valued at over $1 million, though most were valued under $200,000.

Arms length property sales in Cass County through the first nine months this year are up slightly, rising from 566 in 2013 to 588 in 2014. Whether that trend continues through year end will depend upon sales the rest of the year.

In 2013, the highest number of sales came in October to push total sales for that year to 825.

Total sales in 2004 were 1,581, then declined annually to a low of only 570 in 2009 before beginning a gradual increase each year.

Chief Financial Officer Larry Wolfe reported the county will mail notices for proposed 2015 property taxes to landowners later this week.

He said many school districts overlapping the county will increase their levies in 2015 due to recently passed referenda and a new state option allowing school districts to levy a limited additional amount for operations this year.

Cass County's 2015 tax rate will drop 1.5 percent, so property owners' whose valuation stayed the same or declined will not see an increase for the county portion of their taxes.

East Gull Lake, which had the lowest rate in 2014 of all Cass cities (11.214 percent), will see the highest increase for cities, 15.3 percent, for 2015, which will increase the East Gull Lake rate to 12.93 percent. That still is the lowest rate of all cities in the county.

The city of Cass Lake, with the highest 2014 rate (128.509 percent), will see a 1.5 percent drop to 126.531 percent.

The city with the greatest 2015 increase will be the 20.5 percent rise in Pine River where the rate will increase from 94.213 percent to 114.109 percent. The average city rate is 63.489 for 2014 and 64.429 percent for 2015.

Among townships, Torrey had the lowest rate (3.505 percent) for 2014. They will further reduce their rate by 16.2 percent in 2015 and will remain as the lowest tax rate township with 2.938 percent.

Pine River Township had the highest 2014 rate (38.718 percent). Their rate will increase 3.6 percent for 2015 to what also is the highest 2015 township rate at 40.107 percent.

The highest rate increase will be Sylvan Township's 20.1 percent rise from 26.715 in 2014 to 32.089 percent in 2015. Kego and Ponto Lake Townships will each lower their rates 22 percent from 2014 to 2015. Kego drops from 5.906 to 5.604. Ponto Lake drops from 6.375 to 4.972.

The average township rate in 2014 was 7.666 percent. The average will drop in 2015 to 7.034.

Longville Ambulance Service reported transporting 196 patients through the first nine months this year, compared with 200 last year, according to Kevin Lee of North Memorial Ambulance, the Longville service provider.

Revenues were up by $3,574 due to less reduction from billings to insurance companies. Expenses were down $4,594 so far in 2014 compared with 2013.

The service's profit margin through September ran 20.7 percent, while the budget had anticipated only 14 percent profit, Lee said.

Through September, the service has received $509,924 revenue and has spent $404,176. The service had paramedics covering all shifts every day, exceeding the service's part-time advanced life support requirement, Lee said.

County Engineer David Enblom obtained county board approval to borrow against 2016 state aid in 2015 in order to complete several projects located close together, which he expects to bring an overall cost savings for those projects.

The commissioners approved sending commissioner-elect Scott Bruns to training for new commissioners being offered at the Association of Minnesota Counties annual conference in December at St. Cloud.

Current board members will attend general sessions at that conference.

The board also plans to attend a 4-7 p.m. Dec. 10 information meeting being held by Enbridge at the Depot in Pine River on Highway 371.

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