Phoning it in
The chairman’s chair was empty Monday as chairman Earl McNutt conducted the weekly meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners from home quarantine via telephone with fellow commissioners Cayla Richards, left, Steve Downer, right, and County Clerk Tami Teel taking minutes. In public comments, Todd Weimer, who had filed a tax protest, complimented the board on its professionalism, commissioners granted a request by MPPD to bore a hole through a county road north of Indianola, approved a tax roll correction and three homestead exemptions, and began a budget workshop using a preliminary 2.5% raise for salaried and 50 cent an hour raises for hourly employees, as well as $1.8 million for employee health insurance. The board will hear commercial tax protests from Walmart and Valmont Wednesday beginning at 8:30 a.m., with decisions on all protests at 9 a.m.