Crystal Bay Township publishes Feb. 5 notice for annual Board of Audit

A legally required public notice published Feb. 5, 2026 announces that the Town Board of Crystal Bay Township, Lake County, Minnesota will hold its annual Board of Audit for township financial records. The copy provided to this reporter is truncated and does not include the actual date, start time, or physical location listed for the audit.

Because the published excerpt omits the scheduling details, residents and interested parties should contact the town clerk for the full notice and any public access instructions. The township has consistently given the clerk as the contact point in recent notices: crystalbaytownship@gmail.com and 218-353-1236. Author notes in the town’s records identify Colby Abazs as Town Clerk in January 2022; those records also advise, "Please contact the Clerk to add an item to the prepared Agenda."

Crystal Bay Township has held its annual meetings in March in past years. Notices show the Annual Town Meeting began at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, March 8, 2021 and on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Clair Nelson Intermodal Transportation Center, 6866 Cramer Rd, Finland, MN 55603. The township offered a remote option for the 2021 session with Meeting ID 897 5233 6100 and passcode 827537. Those patterns may indicate where and how township meetings are commonly conducted, but the Feb. 5, 2026 Board of Audit specifics must be verified for this year.

Town leadership listed in township materials includes Chair Paul Hartshorn and Vice Chair Mike Nikula. The Board of Audit is the statutory review of township financial records; when scheduled and open to the public it is an opportunity for residents to inspect financial books, ask questions and ensure local fiscal transparency. If the audit is conducted in person at a public facility, residents who attend should expect to see township financial records and audit procedures, subject to state law and local procedures.

Lake County actions can affect Crystal Bay Township governance. County planning and land-use notices in recent years have included changes to vacation rental home regulations that explicitly list Crystal Bay Township among affected jurisdictions. For county-level questions on land use or short-term rental rules, the Lake County Environmental Services Department at 601 Third Avenue, Two Harbors, MN 55616 can be contacted and Melissa McIntyre is listed as a county contact by email.

What this means for residents: confirm the Feb. 5, 2026 notice text and the audit’s date, time and location with the clerk, request the agenda or list of records to be reviewed, and, if needed, ask whether remote participation will be provided. Verifying those details early will ensure Lake County and Crystal Bay Township voters who follow township finances can participate or inspect records as permitted.