Kay Mack, Beltrami County Administrator | co.beltrami.mn.us
Kay Mack, Beltrami County Administrator | co.beltrami.mn.us
Salaried employees working for Beltrami County will now receive overtime pay.
The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners made the decision during a recent meeting, according to The Bemidji Pioneer.
County workers have been working extra hours in response to COVID-19, but due to their contracts, many workers were not receiving compensation for the extra work.
Kay Mack, Beltrami County Administrator, told The Bemidji Pioneer many county employees have contracts that specify when and how they can take overtime.
"We have employees who are designated as exempt employees, and for those exempt employees, there are specific rules we have to follow," Mack told The Bemidji Pioneer.
Exempt employees normally do not qualify for overtime but Mack concedes these are not normal times and the county board is making an exception for those employees.
"We're also going to do everything we can to get that reimbursed where possible, particularly through FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency)," Mack told The Bemidji Pioneer.
The Board of Commissioners also discussed real estate property taxes. COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on local businesses. Any business considered non-essential has been asked to close their doors to prevent the spread of the virus.
The county auditor examined the county's financial position and according to Mack, the county needs the revenue from property taxes, according to The Bemidji Pioneer.
The first half of those taxes are due on May 15, but due to the pandemic, many businesses are shut down and therefore have little to no revenue.
"We're hoping the (state) Legislature would address that on a state-wide level, especially because there are a lot of people who own property in more than one county," Mack told The Bemidji Pioneer.
The county can not extend the property tax due date but they may be able alter the penalty process.
Beltrami County has five reported cases of COVID-19.
There are nine confirmed cases in the surrounding counties: Cass, Clearwater, Itasca, Koochiching and Roseau.
Cynthia Borgen, Beltrami County Public Health Director, said the Minnesota Department of Health is working on a way to track people after the 14-day isolation period.