Beltrami County Board Chair Winger Recaps Fraud Prevention, Jail Update, Legislative Watch

Beltrami County Board Chair Scott Winger used the county's weekly recap format on March 4 to walk through three pressing county concerns: fraud prevention updates, the status of the new jail project, and what the board is tracking at the Minnesota Legislature this session.

The recap, carried by KB101 FM and BemidjiNow among other local outlets, follows a pattern Winger has maintained since ascending to board chair in January. The Bemidji-area Hubbard Radio stations KB101 FM and Z99 have aired his summaries regularly, giving residents a direct line to board activity without requiring attendance at Tuesday meetings.

The jail project has been a recurring thread in Winger's recaps. As far back as January 21, Z99 reported that he highlighted "big savings on the jail project" during his summary of the January 20 board meeting. That project gained a significant financial milestone last December, when commissioners passed a second general obligation bond of $35.73 million for phase 2 of the new county jail. That bond is to be funded through the county's local option sales tax, a mechanism that spreads the cost to a broader base of payers rather than relying solely on property taxes.

The March 3 meeting Winger recapped also carried a ceremonial dimension: the board signed a proclamation and heard a presentation marking Beltrami County's 160th birthday. The county was established in 1866, making 2026 its sesquicentennial-plus-decade milestone.

The recap's mention of legislative session monitoring comes at a time when state funding decisions carry direct consequences for county services. The 2026 budget Winger's board approved last December included cuts to the Bemidji and Blackduck libraries, passing 4-1, alongside a 9.63% property tax levy increase. Which bills or state appropriations the county is watching most closely were not specified in the recap summary.

Fraud prevention was the third topic Winger flagged, though details on specific programs, agencies involved, or incidents prompting the update were not included in the available recap summary.

Winger took the board chair position in early January following the board's annual leadership rotation. District 3 Commissioner Winger moved up from vice chair, while District 4 Commissioner Tim Sumner stepped into the vice chair role.