Detroit Lakes looks to add new police officer and economic development director with 2024 budget

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – Public budget workshops continue for the city of Detroit Lakes with a maximum preliminary property tax levy expected to be finalized as early as next Thursday at the budget team’s last scheduled meeting.

Two additions for Detroit Lakes being budgeted for 2024 are a new full-team police officer and a new economic development director for the city.

The costs for the new police officer will be covered for the next two years by using some of the city’s one-time public safety money passed by the Minnesota Legislature during their most recent session, which means the new position will be budget neutral until 2026.

A new economic development director would be in charge of the city’s development authority and public utilities loan funds, as well as, implement a business retention and expansion program. 

Kelcey Klemm, city administrator for Detroit Lakes, said the city has been operating for decades with a position that encompasses economic development, but also other areas, and this new position would change that.

“We’ve basically had a shared position, a comingled position, for decades of both planning and zoning director and economic development director being combined as our community development director,” said Klemm. “(Larry Remmen) has basically been doing both jobs for many years. And really what we are talking about is splitting that and having an economic development director position and a planning a zoning director.”

The position would also serve as a liaison between the city and the Detroit Lakes Development Authority, including a purview to pursue grant funding to further expansion in the city’s industrial parks.

About $29,000 for the new EDA director position will be funded through the development authority’s fund levy.

Jackie Buboltz, alderman at-large, said she thinks we are always in competition for new businesses with other cities and having a dedicated economic development director could make Detroit Lakes more attractive to potential job creators.

“I think we are in competition with other communities for businesses that want to get started,” said Buboltz. “And I think having a dedicated economic development director will help us be more competitive in marketing DL and not just waiting for them to come here. If we wait for them to come here, maybe we won’t see the growth … so I’m supportive of this as a way to start separating these two positions and doing some focused economic development for our community.”

The budget committee is expected to present their final budget and preliminary maximum property tax levy to the Detroit Lakes city council on Sept. 12.