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Politics & Government

POLL: Should the Washington County Board Add Two Commissioners?

The board will hold a hearing March 13 on increasing its size from five members to seven. The county is currently in the redistricting process.

The Washington County Board will hold a public hearing March 13 on a proposal to increase the size of the board from five commissioners to seven, according to a Washington County press release.

The issue comes up at  a time when the board is redrawing the commissioners' district lines, according to the release.

Commissioner Lisa Weik, who represents Woodbury, said she doesn't see the need for two more board members.

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“I don’t feel like I can’t handle the workload,” she said.

But the real question, she said, is how the county would pay for the new positions: “That’s got to be part of the discussion.”

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County commissioners make just over $52,000 a year, plus benefits and travel expenses.

“How are you going to pay for that?” Weik told Patch. “Where will this new money come from?”

None of the commissioners advocated for adding two board members during a workshop Tuesday, according to a Pioneer Press report.

Commissioner Autumn Lehrke, who represents the Cottage Grove area, said since county staff has been expected to do more work with fewer resources, the board should be held to the same standard, according to the report.

Click here to read the full Pioneer Press article.

The board must adopt a redistricting map of new commissioner districts by April 20, according to the county press release.

Part of the concern is that Woodbury—the 10th largest city in Minnesota—could be represented by three commissioners once the lines are redrawn, Weik said.

If that were the case, it could create a situation in which “Woodbury’s wants and needs float to the top,” Weik said.

The public hearing on adding board members will take place during the 9 a.m meeting Tuesday, March 13, in the Washington County Government Center board room.

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