County Tax Director Elizabeth Black addresses the Ramsey County Commission on Feb. 3 to discuss 2026 Ag Values. (Screen grab photo from YouTube of Ramsey County Commission)
DEVILS LAKE, N.D. – On Tuesday, Feb. 3, the Ramsey County Commission met in the Commission Meeting Room 8 a.m. at the Ramsey County Courthouse for their regular meeting. Present at the meeting were Commissioners Ed Brown, Jeff Frith, Bill Hodous and Paul Wilhelmi, presided by Commission Chair Blaine Volk. Also present were County Auditor Kandy Christopherson and County Treasurer Lisa Diseth.
Tax Director Elizabeth Black addressed the Commission to discuss the 2026 Ag Values. “In the previous meeting, I shared with you that it assumes that most values are going down across the state for the coming year,” she said, requesting that the Commission consider a motion to address how to proceed moving forward, to finalize all values and notify taxpayers with the next few months.
Black added that each county in North Dakota saw a reduction in values, mostly due to increases of the cost production index as well as the capitalization rate. The average rental rate for agricultural land in North Dakota for 2025 was $676.46, while this year, it’s estimated to be $644.22. She advised that 2026 Ag Values decrease by 4% to stay within tolerance.
“We have somewhere between 90 and 100,” she said. “In past years, we’ve always tried to kind of circle around that 95%. That just gave us leeway either way, if something were to occur in the next year. … Three percent gets us very close to the 100%, almost too close.”
“My recommendation would be to go to the 4% decrease,” she added. “We would for sure be within tolerance.”
Based on Black’s recommendation, the Commission moved to decrease the Ag Values for 2026 by 4%, which was carried and approved unanimously.
Sara Laite from North Dakota State University (NDSU) then updated the Commission on the turnout for the annual Lake Region Extension Roundup, one of the area’s biggest and longest-running agricultural events, which was held on Jan. 7 and 8. “We estimate that we had right around 350 to 450 people each day, so that was a great turnout,” she said, adding that they are already planning for next year. “The weather was good, and based on our evaluations, we estimate that there were about 15 counties represented, probably more, but that was a good representation of farming families in the area.”
Laite also said that the Ramsey County Crop Improvement Meetings and Commodity Elections are scheduled for Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. at the KC Hall, with lunch provided; elections will start at 10:30 a.m. for various North Dakota commodity councils, including barley, corn, dry pea and lentil, and oilseed (canola). “We’ll be having one of our NDSU extension soil health specialists presenting on soil, compaction and managing post-harvested ruts.”
She listed several upcoming programs, for which interested parties and preregister at their office including a Beef Quality Assurance Workshop, hosted by NDSU, a program designed to help ranchers implement daily management techniques for their cattle operations to run more smoothly, on Feb. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Courthouse meeting room.
Laite said that another program scheduled for Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. in Lake Region State College’s Ag Building is Design Your Succession Plan, to assist farm families in the area in transitioning their businesses to the next generation.
The Commission then addressed the future use of a Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department 2020 Dodge Durango Pursuit vehicle with high mileage which had been taken out of service and stripped of its original equipment and modifications. With Sheriff Bryan Lang’s introduction, Sean Roed, Lake Region Ambulance Service’s director of operations, expressed interest in using the vehicle for their community paramedic program. The 2012 vehicle they currently have has been in use for five years. “Frankly, I’m using duct tape and zip ties to hold the front end on,” Roed said.
Acquiring the new vehicle for their program would enable their community paramedic, hired with the help of funding from grants, to make house calls, especially to elderly patients who might have difficulty traveling in below-zero temperatures to get virtual medical care. “We can go out there, set up a laptop, and see the doctor,” Roed said. “This is now covered by Medicare, Medicaid, (and) most insurance programs. Very little profit for the ambulance service. It’s about $50 per visit that’s covered by insurance. It’s not a moneymaker for us, by any means, so we’re not in this to make money. That’s for the community’s benefit to fill a gap in health care.”
Roed added that other aspects of the program include making fall, slip, trip and stumble assessments throughout the community, as well as working with the Lake Region District Health Unit.
At Lang’s and Roed’s request, the Commission moved to approve the donation of the Sheriff’s Department vehicle, transferring ownership to the Lake Region Ambulance Service.
Lang then reported to the Commission on purchasing software designed for law enforcement agencies to manage the collection, storage, and tracking of evidence at crime scenes, narrowing it down to two companies: PMI and VeriPic. Lang preferred PMI, as it was less expensive, more user-friendly with its barcode system, offered an unlimited license, is better suited for the department’s needs, and the company would provide a two-hour training session for department staff on its use. “Through PMI, for a little over $7,000, we get the software plus the equipment, and we own it,” he said, adding that the first year of tech support is free. “There’s no other annual fee to go with it, other than if we want to continue with tech support, then that would be $795 a year.”
“This is something we’ve needed for years, and it needs to be done because evidence is a crucial thing when you do cases,” Lang said, adding that the slightest error in properly processing evidence could lead to it being thrown out of court.
Lang clarified that the Devils Lake Police Department would not be using this software, which costs about $7,245, and the Sheriff’s Department has about $8,000 currently available in their technology budget. The Commission then moved to approve the purchase.
Lang also briefly reviewed the year-end 2025 report for the Sheriff’s Department, which featured comparison from 2024. The total of calls for service had risen from 8,781 in 2024 to 8,954 the following year. There was also a big jump in arrests going from 83 arrests to 126 arrests. Regarding agency assists in arrests, they went from 191 to 239. Minor consumption rose from 11 to 20.
Conversely, the number of cases charged decreased, going from 309 to 282. DUIs also decreased, from 65 to 42, while driving suspensions went from 76 to 46. “We like to think that’s due to our visibility, us being out there and being a lot more proactive than we have been in the past,” Lang said.
Lang invited the Commissioners to carefully review the year-end report and that if there were any questions, he would be “more than happy” to discuss it with them.
Near the beginning of the meeting, after the approval of minutes from the Jan. 20 meeting, approval of assorted bill payments (including items like building rent for the Lake Region Narcotics Task Force and combined credit card balance for the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department), treasurer’s checks and the agenda, amended to include a discussion of financials, Volk asked for a moment of silence to remember the passing of Correctional Officer Justin Smith, was found dead from an apparent suicide at a local motel on Saturday, Jan. 31.
“Best of regards to his family,” Volk said. “He’ll be missed for sure.”
Jan. 20 Ramsey County Commission meeting
The Ramsey County Commission met Tuesday, Jan. 20 in the Courthouse at 5:30 p.m. for their regular meeting. As Commission Chair Blaine Volk was present for the meeting only through remote telephone, the meeting was chaired by Paul Wilhelmi. Commissioners Ed Brown, Jeff Frith and Bill Hodous were present, as was County Auditor Kandy Christopherson.
The meeting began with George Ellertson, Northland Security, and Scott Wagner, Bond Attorney, who gave a presentation remotely to the Commission on various financing options the county may employ as they look to future projects.
States Attorney Daniel Howell asked about using a combination of the options available to the County. Frith asked about the next step moving forward for the county. Frith also asked about any “words of wisdom they might have for Ramsey County going forward”
The response was to “look at the debt limit, sales tax, home rule charter, if they come up with a project and it is approximately $60,000 perhaps a series of bonds or a focus on General Allocation Bonds would be the best, knowing the county’s existing debt outstanding would be where to begin.”
Jason Kraft, County Highway Superintendent then stepped up to the podium to inform the commission of the grant from the NDDOT shared financing for Ramsey County Hwy. 1 construction-only costs. The remainder would all be the local share. He also informed them of a bridge in the county that is underwater and needs to be removed as it is no longer in use, a considerable expenditure of county funds, but the NDDOT will pay for expenses of approximately $160,000 to remove this bridge.
The Beer/Liquor License application that was tabled at the last meeting for Wallys Bad Ass Bar & Famous Food was addressed by Howell who stated that, according to Section 12 of the Code, the facility is required to have adequate toilet and lavatory facilities, which it appears it does not. There was also a question about whether the applicant, only referred to as Mr. Johnson, lived in Ramsey County or not. His recommendation was to deny the application.
New business: One Homestead Credit Abatement was approved.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bryan Lang reported that he needed storage for items that his office needs to keep on hand. Said items were not evidence, but needed supplies like 12 new tires for RC vehicles, etc. During his explanation, Jason Kraft moved up beside him, and said that he, too, had a similar need and that perhaps they could work together to provide a space, like a small building of some kind in the County’s lot to serve both their needs for the time being. After some discussion it was decided that a small building would be purchased to be used by both the Sheriff’s Department and the Highway Department, to provide a secure and safe storage area for the items in question.
The commission voted to provide the $400 from the General Fund to pay for signage for a stretch of highway in the County dedicated as a memorial for Officer Rudolf Howell who died in 1950. once a location in Ramsey County is selected for this memorial dedication.
Finally, using the metal detectors for security had a trial run recently on third floor and the Sheriff reported that it seemed to go well. Another trial run will take place on Feb. 10, on the main floor of the Courthouse to determine where it would be best to have it in the building on a more permanent basis. All other doors will be locked except the front doors to allow people access to the metal detectors if they wish to attend meetings, court proceedings and have other business in the Courthouse.
