News Flash

LE SUEUR COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

88 SOUTH PARK AVE

LE CENTER MN 56057

507-357-2251

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Notice is hereby given that at 10:00 AM on February 17, 2026 the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing in Commissioner Board Room at the Le Sueur County Government Center, located at 88 South Park Avenue, Le Center, Minnesota.

The purpose of the public hearing is to hear testimony from interested parties in regards to the proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan.  The Environmental Services Department invites public comment either in advance of the meeting or during the Public Hearing where the Plan will be considered for adoption.

Copies of the proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan are available for review during normal working hours Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and Fridays 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Le Sueur County Environmental Services Department and at the Le Sueur County Auditor’s office.

 The proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan is also available for review on the Le Sueur County website.  

Aaron Stubbs

Le Sueur County Planning & Zoning Administrator

Joseph Martin

Le Sueur County Administrator

View the Comp Plan Here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7333d6fd668b4712af81c844d772ea2d

LE SUEUR COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

88 SOUTH PARK AVE.

LE CENTER, MINNESOTA 56057

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:  NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD

DATE:                    THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026

TIME:                    6:30 P.M.

PLACE:                  Le Sueur County Justice Center, 435 E Derrynane St, Le Center MN 

The meeting may be attended virtually or in person.  The virtual meeting link can be accessed via the posted agenda at the following location:   https://mn-lesueurcounty.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03192026-722?html=true 

PURPOSE:           To discuss whether to restrict deer hunting to shotguns only, following the state’s repeal of the 14-county shotgun zone for the 2026 season. The meeting will address if the county should implement its own ordinance allowing only shotguns/muzzleloaders, or allow rifle usage as permitted by state law. 

DRAFT ORDINANCE

WHEREAS, since 1942, the State of Minnesota had restricted the types of firearms used to hunt deer due to concerns with landowner rights, hunter and public safety, and deer population management.

WHEREAS, during the 2025 session, the Minnesota Legislature adopted, and the Governor signed an act to repeal Minnesota Statutes § 97B.318, which designated Le Sueur County as part of the shotgun-only use deer hunting area, effective for the firearms deer hunting season; and

WHEREAS, that same act added Minnesota Statutes § 97B.031, subdivision 7, which permits a County Board of Commissioners to adopt an ordinance after notice and public hearing to limit the types of firearms that may be used to hunt deer within a county, including restrictions of the same scope and type previously allowed by the former Minnesota Statutes § 97B.318; and

WHEREAS, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners finds the extent of firearms limitations contained in the former Minnesota Statutes § 97B.318 promotes safety, mitigates potential trespassing, and responsibly manages the deer population; and

WHEREAS, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners is authorized by Minnesota Statute § 97B.031, subd. 7, to maintain such firearms limitations as were contained in the former Minnesota Statutes § 97B.318 through the adoption of an ordinance after due notice and public hearing; and

WHEREAS, having now held the noticed public hearing required by law on March 19, 2026, and considering the comments offered by the public, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners finds preservation of the shotgun use area for firearms deer hunting season in Le Sueur County to be appropriate.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioner does hereby ordain:

AN ORDINANCE LIMITING FIREARMS ALLOWED FOR DEER HUNTING IN LE SUEUR COUNTY

Section 1. SHOTGUN USE AREA AND FIREARMS LIMITATIONS 

The “shotgun use area” for purposes of this Ordinance is defined as the entire territory within the boundaries of Le Sueur County, State of Minnesota. 

During the regular firearms deer hunting season in the shotgun use area, only legal shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzle-loading long guns, and legal handguns may be used for taking deer. Legal shotguns include those with rifled barrels. 

Unlawful firearms. It is unlawful to use a firearm other than those described herein to take deer in the County. 

Section 2. PENALTIES AND ENFORCEMENT  

Enforcement. The County Sheriff and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers have the authority to enforce the provisions of this ordinance.

Penalties.  A person who violates this ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punishable as defined by law. 

Section 3. EFFECTIVE DATE AND DURATION 

This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after ____________, 2026, and shall continue in full force and effect after its passage and publication in accordance with the law.

ADOPTED by the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners this ____ day of ___________, 2026.

Greetings from Le Sueur County

As we kick off a new year, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners held their first meeting of the year on January 6, which is also known as the Statutory meeting where certain business must be addressed, namely the election of a new board chair and vice chair. Commissioner Danny O’Keefe was elected chair with Commissioner John King being elected vice chair. The Board also appointed and reappointed several individuals to the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustments, Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Parks Board, Library Board and Extension Committee.

The Board also opened bids for the annual legal newspaper, with the Le Sueur County News being awarded the low bid. Additionally, the Board adopted Board Operating Procedures which guides Board decision making, and the County Finance Policy that guides financial decision making. These policies are available for the public to view on our website under the County Administration page.

The Board also set the date of June 16 for the Board of Appeal and Equalization, which is the official meeting where property owners can formally dispute their property valuations that will be used for 2027 property taxes.  

In other Board related news, the annual contract with Aging Services for Communities to provide rides for senior citizens was approved, and the Board met for their annual drainage meeting where 2025 projects were reviewed, along with discussing policies and priorities for 2026.

Later in the month, the Board agreed to advertise for bids for the following 2026 road projects: paving County Road 2 between County Roads 15 and 11; paving County Road 7 between County Roads 12 and 2; replacement of a bridge on County Road 117; paving County Road 46 in City of Cleveland; and county-wide seal coats. Other road projects in the planning phase for 2026 include work on County Road 60 in New Prague and County Road 47 in Cleveland.

During the last meeting of the month, the Board discussed and agreed to pursue a grant with the Federal Economic Development Authority and to request funds that would pay for identifying and developing engineering plans for flood storage projects in the Cannon River watershed to mitigate flooding in the Waterville community.

Lastly, the Board discussed the controversial subject of shotgun versus rifle usage for the 2026 deer season. With the State law recently changing, rifles will be allowed to be used in all Minnesota counties, unless County Boards decide to adopt an ordinance to stay shotgun only. The Board decided to develop and issue a draft ordinance and hold a public hearing to hear public comments on whether the County should adopt an ordinance to stay shotgun only. The public is encouraged to attend the public hearing the evening of March 19 starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Justice Center located at 435 E Derrynane Street in Le Center to express their opinion. The Board is unlikely to act on the ordinance during the public hearing, with a subsequent decision on whether to approve an ordinance coming during a subsequent regular Board meeting.

Greetings from Le Sueur County 

As the old year ends and the new year begins it gives everyone a chance to reflect on the past and look to the future. As I reflect on 2025 for the County, one word resonates with me and its “uncertainty”. 

Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information, typically characterized by doubt or a lack of confidence about an outcome. It is also linked to the experience of anxiety arising from unpredictable future events or a perceived lack of control. No one likes uncertainty and attempts to reduce it, whether it’s in our personal lives or in our work settings. Uncertainty is usually created by forces many times outside of our control, which makes it even more frustrating to navigate and control. 

In this past year, we were reminded of how closely county government operations are linked to decisions made at the State and Federal levels of government and how much uncertainty that can create, especially as we are generally accustomed to an environment with lack of uncertainty and predictability. 

In past columns I have shared about the multitude of pending and possible mandated cost shifts and burdens in the Human Services arena of our county operations. Some of these we know, but many are still unknown and may have a dramatic future financial impact upon the County. With nearly 20 percent of the County’s property tax levy already going to Human Services operations and its expectation to grow, it will continue to force the County to even more closely scrutinize spending decisions across all county operations. 

As a reminder, the County does not get to pick and choose which Human Services programs and services to provide. Most programs and services are mandated by state law, so programmatic changes must be made at the State level. With the upcoming State Legislative Session starting in February, we hope to receive more answers to the questions that have impact on our county budget, along with more answers from our federal government partners, namely the USDA with the SNAP program. 

Switching gears, the following are items of business the Board of Commissioners addressed during the month of December. 

• Adopted the 2026 final property tax levy and budget. The levy increase will be 4.4 percent. 
• Updated user fees.
• Approved contract for the new Sheriff’s Office Record Management System along with law enforcement contracts for cities of Elysian, Kasota and Kilkenny.  
• Finalized redetermination of benefits of county ditches 9, 36, 51, 59 and 68.  
• Approved professional services contracts with SWCD, Surveyor, Lake Washington Campground Caretaker, and Broadband consulting. 
• Received Department updates from Auditor/Treasurer, Courts, IT, Probation, Treatment Court, and Veterans Services.  
• Received update on DNR dam replacement projects at Lake Gorman and Lower Sakatah.  

Greetings from Le Sueur County

 As we wind down the year, the Board of Commissioners took final actions in adopting a new budget and tax levy for 2026. After much discussion and evaluation, the County Board lowered the preliminary levy from 5.36 percent to a final levy increase of 4.4 percent. This is compared to a 3.9 percent increase in the prior year. The estimated tax statements that were recently mailed represented a proposed increase based on the 5.36 percent increase, so the actual county property tax increase will be a bit lower.

 The final 2026 budget adds around $1.3 million in additional county property tax, for a total county property tax levy of $30,337,063, and a total budget expending $65,301,745. The revenue increases are primarily needed to pay for salary and benefit costs of personnel.

 Looking at the budget from a high level in terms of revenue generation, property taxes fund around 48 percent of the overall budget. Around 37 percent of revenue is received from State/Federal sources, such as Road and Bridge or Health and Human Services funds. The remaining 15 percent of revenue is classified as miscellaneous, and their primary sources would be fees or investment earnings.

 In terms of comparing overall expenditures, 40 percent of the budget goes towards general government operations which encompasses most Departments, 31 percent goes toward roads and bridges, 18 percent to Human Services, 6 percent for debt service, 4 percent for Environmental Services, and 1 percent for miscellaneous.

 When you look at where county property taxes are spent, 67 percent goes towards four major cost centers. First is Sherrif’s Office at 25 percent, followed by 19 percent to Human Services, 13 percent to Highway, and 10 percent to debt service. The remaining 33 percent of the county property tax supports all other county operations.  

 As a reminder, the property values used to calculate 2026 property taxes are based on property sales data from October 2023 through September 2024. Also, property taxes levied by the County only represent a portion of the total property tax, as taxing authorities in townships, cities and schools direct the County on how much to collect for their operations. Correspondingly, property taxes can range dramatically depending upon what jurisdiction the property is located.

 For example, as a percentage of the total property tax bill for a $400,000 property within a city limits, city percentages range from 10 to 50 percent of the total bill, while school percentages range from 21 to 49 percent, with the County percentage range from 28 to 41 percent.

A change property owners will see on 2026 property tax statements is the removal of the library special taxing district line item, as this amount is now included in the overall county tax levy. Funding for county libraries was held flat at $841,520.

 No major property tax burden shifts are projected in 2026, with residential up slightly and still leading the way and paying 58.8 percent share of total tax burden, followed by agricultural at 29 percent, commercial/industrial at 7.9 percent, utilities and railroads at 3.1 percent, and apartments at 1.1 percent.

 If you would like to learn more about the budget, you can visit the County website and find materials posted from the December 2 Board meeting agenda.

I hope everyone is enjoying the nice Fall weather we have been blessed with. I also wish everyone headed out for deer season, a safe and enjoyable hunt.  As I have reported in past columns, there are some pending changes with legal firearm usage for deer hunting. To clear up any confusion that may be out there, rifle usage is still prohibited. The change in State law will make it legal to use rifles starting next year, with the 2026 deer season.

However, State law did grant Counties the ability to pass an ordinance and prohibit the use of rifles. The Board of Commissioners have held discussions about this matter, but no decision has been made regarding adopting a restrictive ordinance. The Board will need to decide by May 2026 whether they wish to pass an ordinance and remain shotgun only for deer hunting. If the County takes no action, rifle usage will be allowed for deer hunting starting with the 2026 deer season. A future Board work session has been scheduled for February 2026.

As of the writing of this column, the Federal Government continues to be shutdown. Our county operations have not been significantly impacted by this shutdown, nor do we expect any major impacts. However, starting on November 1 and rolling through the month, over 600 Le Sueur County households will face the impact of not receiving food benefits through the SNAP and WIC programs. We anticipate this to create an unsustainable demand on our local food shelves. To put this in perspective, around $180,000 per month is paid to local families for food assistance. The best way for all of us to help is by making a cash donation to our local food shelves, which are in the Cities of Cleveland, Elysian, Le Center, Le Sueur, Montgomery, New Prague and St. Peter.    

As I have shared over the last several months, the County has been working to execute on a $1 million federal grant for broadband fiber internet expansion. In recent actions, the Board awarded the bid for an underground fiber contractor to install 14 miles of fiber in the Hwy 99 and 13 corridors, that will provide 57 locations access to high-speed fiber. Construction is scheduled for Spring 2026. The County will be partnering with BevComm to provide service once the fiber is installed.

Finally, I would mention the Board adopted a Proclamation to recognize Operation Greenlight from November 4-11. Operation Greenlight recognizes the men and women who have served our Country in the Armed Forces and to highlight the stresses that these men and women have in transitioning out of military service. During the week of November 4, the Government Center will be lit in green to recognize Operation Greenlight. We encourage others in Le Sueur County to also display green lights in their place of business or residence.