OSA Weekly Update - 6/13/2025
1. Message from Auditor Blaha
2. Reminder: Relief Association Reporting Deadline
3. Avoiding Pitfall: Approval of Town Meeting Minutes
4. Deadlines
1. Message from Auditor Blaha
The Minnesota Legislature finished their budget work in a special session on Monday. Bonding, taxes and jobs, labor, education, economic development, and more were hard fought compromises in the nearly tied legislature. For a summary of the legislation that's now headed for the Governor’s signature, check out this well written summary from the League of Minnesota Cities.
2. Reminder: Relief Association Reporting Deadline
Reporting forms and audited financial statements for fire relief associations with at least $750,000 in special fund assets or liabilities are due by June 30. Reporting forms are accessible through SAFES. A short video is provided that walks through the changes in this year’s forms and other recent updates. Detailed instructions on how to access, complete, submit, and electronically sign the forms are provided in this reporting checklist.
You can check out our reporting compliance dashboard to see a relief association’s status in meeting its requirements with the OSA to qualify for fire state aid and to view the status of relief association report submissions to the OSA.
3. Avoiding Pitfall: Approval of Town Meeting Minutes
The Office of the State Auditor often reviews town meeting minutes. We recommend that regular board meeting minutes are handled as follows: Once the minutes are prepared they should be signed by the town clerk. Once approved by the board, usually at the next board meeting, the minutes should be signed and dated by a board member, preferably the chair, to indicate that they are the official town board meeting minutes.
Minnesota law requires that meeting minutes of the annual meeting and of special meetings of the electors be signed by the clerk and by the moderator of the meeting. If the town clerk is elected as moderator, the minutes must also be signed by a supervisor in attendance at the meeting.
For additional general information, see our Statement of Position on Meeting Minutes, which can be found here.
The full Avoiding Pitfall is available on the OSA website.
4. Deadlines
Due: Performance Measurement Program Report by July 1, 2025
Participation in the Performance Measurement Program by a city or a county is voluntary. Counties and cities that choose to participate in the standard measures program must officially adopt and implement the ten minimum performance measures and system developed by the Council on Local Results and Innovation (Council).
In order to receive the per capita reimbursement, counties and cities must file a report (in a PDF format) with the OSA by July 1, 2025.