Ramsey County, Minnesota
 C
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents |
Ramsey County is one of 87 counties in Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 508,640.[1] Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. It is one of the 11 counties in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul Metropolitan Area, and is the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota, as well as one of the most densely populated counties in the United States.[2]
Website evaluation
Last rated on September 17, 2012.
The good
- Budget
- Budgets are posted.[3]
- Meetings
- Meeting agendas, minutes, and videos are published. [4]
- Elected Officials
- The names and contact information of all county commissioners is provided.[5]
- Administrative Officials
- Contact information for administrative staff is listed in the directory[6], as well as in their respective departments.
- Audits
- Audit Information is published.[7]
- Local Taxes
- Tax information is published.[8]
The bad
- Building Permits and Zoning
- No information on building permits or zoning.
- Contracts
- No information on bids or contracts.
- Lobbying
- Lobbying information is not available.
- Public Records
- No information on public records.
Government
Elected Officials
Current elected officials in the County:[9]
| Office | Name | Length of Term | Term Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner District 1 |
Tony Bennett | 4 years | 2012 |
| Commissioner District 2 |
Jan Parker | 4 years | 2012 |
| Commissioner District 3 |
Janice Rettman | 4 years | 2014 |
| Commissioner District 4 |
Toni Carter | 4 years | 2014 |
| Commissioner District 5 |
Rafael Ortega | 4 years | 2014 |
| Commissioner District 6 |
Jim McDonough | 4 years | 2014 |
| Commissioner District 7 |
Victoria Reinhardt | 4 years | 2012 |
| County Attorney | John Choi | 4 years | 2014 |
| County Sheriff | Matt Bostrom | 4 years | 2014 |
County Manager
The County Manager makes recommendations to the County Board, implements the Board's policies, provides leadership and clear direction to department heads and staff, and develops and implements the County budget to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of services to the citizens of Ramsey County.[10]
The current Ramsey County Manager is Julie Kleinschmidt.[10]
Budget
The County’s first two-year budget was adopted for 2006-2007. The goals of the two-year budget are to: more closely parallel the State biennial budget process, improve financial management, improve long-range and strategic planning, better link operating and capital activities with spending, and improve program monitoring and evaluation.[3]
In the first year of a biennium, a budget is established for two years. In the second year of the biennium, a supplemental budget is adopted that includes recommended budget changes and updated information on department critical success indicators and performance measurements.[3]
2011 Budget
Where the money comes from:[11]
| Source | Percent of Funds | Fund Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Property Taxes | 44.5% | $260,347,460 |
| Intergovernmental Revenue |
27.7% | $162,204,694 |
| Charges for Services and Fees |
19.1% | $112,339,937 |
| Use of Money, Property, and Sales |
5.5% | $32,106,022 |
| Other Revenue and Taxes | 2.2% | $12,811,094 |
| Fund Balance | 1.0% | $5,893,712 |
| TOTAL | $585,702,919 |
Where the money goes:[11]
| Source | Percent of Funds | Fund Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Human Services |
47.1% | $275,928,485 |
| Public Safety and Justice |
27.9% | $163,616,316 |
| County Administration and Taxpayer Services |
10.4% | $60,982,071 |
| General County Purposes | 8.1% | $47,299,039 |
| Transportation, Recreation, and Culture |
6.5% | $37,877,008 |
| TOTAL | $585,702,919 |
Public Employee Salaries
The website posts a County Compensation Manual[12] that list monthly salary ranges for specific jobs.
As of April 2011, there are Eighty-Four (84) county jobs that have the potential of earning $100,000 or more a year (with $8,333 a month equaling $100,000 a year).[12]
There are an additional Thirty-Eight (38) county jobs that do not have a minimum or maximum salary, including County Commissioners, the County Attorney, and the County Sheriff.[12]
Below are the top 10 public employee salaries in 2009:[13]
| Name | Agency | Department | Title | Total Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES W CHASTEK | HUMAN SERVICES | SVCS/INTAKE/CLINSVCSADMIN | PSYCHIATRIST | $158,058 |
| MONTY L MARTIN | HUMAN SERVICES | ADMIN | DIR OF COMNTY HUMN SVCS | $150,832 |
| JULIANNE P KLEINSCHMIDT | COUNTY MANAGER | ADMIN | COUNTY MANAGER | $149,860 |
| CAROL ROBERTS | COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS | ADMIN | DIR OF COMNTY CORRCTNS | $149,054 |
| CHARLES M BALCK | COUNTY ATTORNEY | ADLTPROSEC/BALCK | ASST DIV DIR-CO ATTY | $147,270 |
| SUSAN E GAERTNER | COUNTY ATTORNEY | ADMIN | COUNTY ATTORNEY | $146,284 |
| JAMES T HANKES | PUBLIC DEFENDER | ADMIN | CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER | $142,050 |
| JOHN A RHODES | COUNTY ATTORNEY | ADMIN | FIRST ASST COUNTY ATTY | $141,917 |
| MARY K MAHONEY | INFORMATION SERVICES | ADMIN | DIR OF INFORMATION SVCS | $139,476 |
| QUENTIN GABOR | HUMAN SERVICES | SVCS/INTAKE/CLINSVCSADMIN | PSYCHIATRIST | $139,208 |
Union Contracts
The Labor Relations Division of Human Resources negotiates and administers all of the collective bargaining agreements between Ramsey County and the exclusive representatives of the County employees. The office also represents County management in all other facets of labor relations, including bargaining, unit determination, policy development and grievance handling. Current union contracts are available on their website.[14]
Lobbying
Ramsey County spent $30,000 between 2006-2010 on lobbying the federal government.[15] Additionally, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority spent $20,000 in that period, for a total of $50,000 spent by the county on lobbying the federal government between 2006-2010.
The county has spent the following on government sector lobbying in the state from 2005-2009. This includes both contracts with lobbyists and membership in government sector lobbying associations
| Year | Amount |
| 2009 | $137,206.00 |
| 2008 | $124,017.00 |
| 2007 | $155,537.00 |
| 2006 | $288,680 |
| 2005 | $121,137 |
Data obtained from Minnesota State Auditor Lobbying Reports
See also:
External links
- Ramsey County Government’s website
- Ramsey County Historical Society
- Ramsey County Public Records
- Ramsey County on ePodunk
References
- ↑ |title=2010 Census Data United States Census 2010
- ↑ Minneapolis Regional Chamber Development Foundation
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Budgets
- ↑ Meetings
- ↑ Commissioners
- ↑ County Directory
- ↑ Audits
- ↑ Taxes
- ↑ http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/RC_Elected_Officials.htm Ramsey County Elected Officials]
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 County Manager
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 2011 Approved Budget
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 'County Compensation Manual'
- ↑ Minnesota Public Employee Salaries, accessed May 4, 2011
- ↑ Union Contracts
- ↑ "Scott County: Spending tax dollars to get tax dollars", Star Tribune, September 4, 2010
| |||||
