County watching its spending

The McLeod County Board Tuesday (June 8) unanimously approved a budget directive Tuesday to keep a close eye on its spending. The directive is a continuation of a practice that’s been in place for several years.

Under the directive, county departments must seek approval from the County Board for capital purchases in excess of $2,000. They must also seek approval to fill staff vacancies. Supervisors are also required to closely monitor authorizations for overtime, limiting them to emergency situations only.

There is twist this year: In previous budget years the capital purchase approval threshold was $1,000. Due to rising overall costs, Board Chair Grant Knutson moved that the threshold be doubled.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)