North Dakota
Grand Forks County Commission member to propose consolidating the local jail and sheriff's office
GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks County Commission member on Tuesday will propose merging the county jail and sheriff’s department — a move he admits will “raise some eyebrows” — with an added hope for future collaboration between the correctional center and state.
Mark Rustad will make the motion during the commission’s regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 7. The purpose, he said, is to prevent a tax increase he believes is inevitable if significant changes aren’t made to reconcile a county budget that’s been stretched thin. On the pre-meeting agenda, available to the public, Rustad’s proposal is listed simply as “county department consolidation.”
Rustad believes a major issue with the county’s current financial state is
the Grand Forks County Correctional Center expansion project.
He calls it a financial anchor around the county’s ankle.
“(It) really never should have been built in the first place,” Rustad said. “But we need to figure out a way to make lemonade out of lemons.”
When the County Commission approved the 2025 budget, it did so by buying down its property tax levy with cash on hand — likely the last time the county will be able to do that, according to Grand Forks County Auditor Debbie Nelson’s budget report. The county is using cash on hand to keep the mill levy down by almost 10 mills, or around $4 million, based on July taxable values.
Without the cash, the county would be near the mill levy maximum of 60 mills, currently valued at around $23.6 million, for its general fund, which includes primarily operation and staffing expenses. The county is also currently levying 7.78 of its capital construction mills — most of its 10-mill limit. Over the last three budget years, the county has budgeted between seven and eight mills.
While the value of a mill has generally gone up over time, and increased by 5.38% between the 2024 and 2025 budgets, commissioners want to lessen the burden of property taxes on property owners.
A mill, or rather the mill levy, is the multiplier used to calculate what is owed in property taxes. It is determined by dividing the property tax levy revenue needed by the total taxable value in a taxing district. The mill levy is then multiplied by the taxable value of a property to determine the amount owed. Different taxing entities have different values for their mills. In the 2025 budget, a single Grand Forks County mill is valued at $394,096, while a city of Grand Forks’ single mill is $294,256.
“This is step one in trying to give us a financial forecast that is long term rather than trying to piecemeal our budget together to basically rely on increasing home values,” Rustad said. “That’s not a safe thing to rely on.”
Rustad proposes to put the sheriff’s office in charge of the correctional center, which would remove duplicative work that he believes exists in administrative roles. This would not necessarily be done by layoffs, but rather by choosing not to rehire openings as employees retire. Additionally, he believes the consolidation would save on transportation costs, since sheriff’s deputies perform inmate transportation for things like court hearings.
Rustad said it’s too early in the process to say what would become of Grand Forks County Correctional Center’s administrator position, currently held by Bret Burkholder. In his proposal, it could possibly be eliminated, he said, or it would remain and report to the sheriff. Rustad stressed that his proposal isn’t directed at Burkholder or the work he has done.
“I ran on this,” Rustad said, referring to his candidacy before he was elected. “It’s not something I just pulled from thin air.”
He added: “I wouldn’t really feel comfortable saying, ‘Yeah, that position is going away. That would have to be a real detailed conversation among the commission if, in fact, I have support (for the consolidation.)”
He doesn’t suspect the role would fall to Sheriff Andy Schneider, though, because the roles of jail administrator and sheriff are so different and each take a significant amount of time. One person can’t do both, Rustad said.
“This is not headhunting for Bret Burkholder,” he said. “He was doing exactly what he was told to do — and what his job description is — by previous county commissions.”
Rustad also believes the move could allow the county to work more closely with the state — perhaps to include leasing a portion of the expanded correctional facility for state use.
Commissioner Terry Bjerke said nothing can or should be off the table when considering the county’s budget.
“I think the majority of the commission wants to look and see if there are ways we can consolidate,” said Bjerke, who earned a seat on the commission in November after campaigning on a platform of budget reform. “Things change, technology improves. There are different things you can look at — like if you get a new piece of software and it can do things you normally got done by hand, why wouldn’t you look at that kind of thing?”
While both Bjerke and Rustad have said they are against any new taxes for county residents, others have said the county needs to look at diversifying its revenue streams.
“We can nickel-and-dime the budget, absolutely, I totally agree with you. But when it comes to the long-range plan, how can we broaden our resources instead of,
‘Well, we’re going to be capped off at 60 mills?’” Commissioner Cynthia Pic told commissioners in September.
“How can we broaden our revenue sources so that we continue to provide the services that are mandated in legislation?”
The county has tried. For example, a vote to raise the sales tax in the county narrowly failed in 2022. Funds generated by the tax would have gone toward capital improvement funding.
Due to construction delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,
there are numerous capital projects underway in the county at once.
Those also resulted in projects costing more because of inflation.
While the county is near its capacity for capital expenditures, additional correctional staff for the jail expansion will add a projected $428,700 to the 2026 budget. The county budgeted for those roles to be filled around halfway through 2025 to save costs, as the facility isn’t expected to be fully ready until mid-2025.
The county simply cannot afford to staff the expanded portion of the jail long term, Rustad said.
“We could probably do it for something like five years – if we burn through our cash on hand,” he said.
Rustad’s hope, if his proposal is approved, is that the correctional center will immediately be turned over to the sheriff’s office, consolidating the two largest expenditures under the county general fund. He believes the transition could be completed by the end of the first quarter of the year.
Considering the 2025 budget, if combined, the two would cost nearly $16 million – more than four times the size of the next largest department under the general fund, which is the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Rustad believes money will be saved through his proposal, but when discussing it with the Herald he said he suspects a dollar estimate won’t be clear until after the change is made.
“I don’t know if there is a good way (to determine potential savings) until we pry open the departments,” he said.
He expressed confidence, though, in Schneider’s ability to create efficiency.
Though not directly related to Tuesday’s proposal, Rustad also has hopes for the county to lease a portion of its expanded correctional facility to the state and its prisoners. Capacity issues at all levels of North Dakota incarceration have been well documented; Rustad believes this could be a way to meet a need for the state and many needs for the county.
Leasing the space would bring funds into the county and, as a result, staffing it would be the state’s responsibility, taking the financial burden away from the county, Rustad believes. Though the intent of the expansion project was to address the county’s own capacity issues, Rustad said that, without the money to staff the space, it’s no good to the county.
“If we can’t staff the space, it’s irrelevant,” Rustad said. “It costs a lot less to rent back a few beds from the state … and, furthermore, it is pretty frequent that we have state and federal inmates in our jail that we’re renting space to.”
His hope is that cutting costs and adding a revenue stream would hopefully, down the line, allow the county to invest in resources for
its incarcerated population which, as previously reported by the Herald, is largely made up of people with mental health and substance use issues that need treatment to prevent recidivism
.
Vernon Dale Krause, 93, of Fargo, ND, formerly of Wahpeton, ND, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Heather’s House in Fargo, ND, under the care of HIA Hospice.
A Celebration of life will be held on Monday, July 20, 2026, at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., followed by a service at 10:00 a.m., with burial immediately following at Fairview Cemetery in Wahpeton.
Vern was born on February 16, 1933, in rural Wyndmere, ND, one of eleven children born to Theodore and Ella (Rohl) Krause. He grew up in Wyndmere and attended Wyndmere Public School, where he left his studies behind to volunteer for the United States Army. Vern proudly served from 1953 to 1956 before transferring to the Army Reserves. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and, throughout his life, carried great pride in his years of military service.
He married Jean (Carey) Krause, and together they built a life and raised their family in Wahpeton, where he would spend most of his years. They were blessed with two children. In his later years, after developing severe dementia, Vernon moved to Fargo so he could receive the care he needed and be closer to family.
For 41 years, he worked for the City of Wahpeton Water & Sewer Department, where he was highly regarded and known for knowing every inch of the city like the back of his hand. Even after retirement, he continued to volunteer his time and expertise whenever the City needed him. Among the accomplishments he was most proud of were his early years helping develop the Chahinkapa Zoo.
Above all, he cherished his family. He loved anything to do with his grandchildren — from crafting chairs out of tree trunks and splitting wood, to watching their sporting events and helping them grow into who they were meant to be. His great-grandchildren were a true blessing to him — even if their energy made him a little nervous, he always looked forward to their visits. His nieces and nephews brought him great joy as well especially in his later years and he loved being an uncle to them. When his brother Leyone “Spud” moved to town, Vern couldn’t wait to deliver him the daily newspaper and share a chat. He loved tinkering in the garage, always engineering new ways to drain water, and he was the biggest Green Bay Packers fan around — proud to call himself a team shareholder. After moving to Fargo, Vernon was grateful for the time he was able to spend with his sister, Carole Jean, who had always been his protector.
Vernon will be remembered for his steady hands, his quiet devotion to family and community, and the example he set of showing up — for his country, for his city, and most of all, for the people he loved. He will be deeply missed.
Vern is survived by his son, Mark Krause, Fargo; two sisters-in-law, Priscilla Krause and Donna Krause; two brothers-in-law, Ron Carey and Don Carey; eight grandchildren, Carey, Danielle, Margo, Jodi, Nikki, Kevin, Brad and Tracee; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Jean Krause; his daughter, Deb Christopher; five brothers, Alfred, Donald, Willard, Kenneth and Leyone Krause; five sisters, Dorothy Peterson, Loretta Dable, LaVelle Odegard, Lucille Kruchek and Carole Jean Johnson-Bohlken; sisters-in-law, Viola Krause, Marleen Krause, Amy Carey and Linda Carey; brothers-in-law, Elroy Odegard, Robert Johnson, Willis Bohlken, Pete Peterson, Johnny Kruchek and Frank Dable; granddaughter, Robyn Krause; and grandson, Jack Bollman.
GRAFTON, N.D. — Two North Dakota men are speaking out about a 38-year-long alleged mistake that altered their entire lives.
The men and their families are suing Unity Medical Center in Grafton, saying the hospital is responsible for
switching them at birth in 1988
. The hospital denies the allegations.
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There are moments that remind us exactly who we are as a community, and the recent fire at Antelope Creek Bar and Grill in Mooreton was one of them. Many already know the awful loss that unfolded. It was a brutally hot day, the kind where the sun feels heavy and the air is so thick, and social media quickly filled with photos, videos, and comments documenting the devastation. Heartbreaking. Gut‑wrenching. A place that held memories for so many suddenly only visions smoke and charred remains.
But even in the middle of all that loss, something else rose up, something that always seems to show itself around here when life gets hard. Kindness. Pure, steady kindness.
The volunteer firefighters were the first reminder. They never cease to amaze me. They drop everything … work, family, whatever they were in the middle of and suit up in layers of gear despite the heat and humidity. They’re regular people with regular jobs, yet they show up like it’s the most natural thing in the world. No spotlight. No applause. Just service. Just heart.
Then came the folks who arrived with water, Gatorade, and anything they could think of to help ease the burden of those battling the blaze. Nobody organized it. Nobody asked. They simply showed up because that’s what people do here. That alone would have been enough to warm my heart.
But it didn’t stop there.
As the day went on, I saw posts from other regional businesses, specifically other bar and grills, reaching out with messages of support. These are places that could easily be seen as competition, yet there they were, offering help, extending care, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the owners who had just watched their livelihood disappear. “We are here. How can we help?” they wrote. No rivalry. No hesitation. Just neighbors being neighbors.
If you ever need a reminder of what makes this valley special, it’s moments like that. People who could have stayed quiet choosing instead to lift someone else up. Businesses that could have focused on themselves choosing instead to stand with another in their darkest moment. It’s the best of us. The part of small town life that doesn’t make headlines but makes all the difference.
We talk a lot about community, but this, this right here is what it looks like. It looks like firefighters sweating through their gear on a 90‑degree day. It looks like strangers handing out cold drinks. It looks like business owners reaching across the aisle to say, “You’re not alone.” It looks like compassion showing up before anyone has time to think twice.
Loss has a way of revealing character. And what I saw in the wake of that fire was a valley full of people who still believe in showing up, still believe in helping, still believe in each other. In a world that can feel divided and loud, this quiet, steady goodness is worth noticing. Worth celebrating. Worth holding onto.
Because when the smoke clears and the debris settles, what remains is the strength of a community that refuses to let anyone face hardship alone. And that, more than anything, is the story worth telling.
That is the true Best of the Valley. The people.
Bobbi Steffens resides in the Southern Valley and discovered her passion for writing through an unexpected path.
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