Fertile City Council Meets

FERTILE, MN—Monday night, the Fertile City Council approved its preliminary tax levy and preliminary budget for 2026.  Fertile Mayor Brian Nephew has the numbers, which includes raises for City employees and higher insurance costs for the City.

Nephew says even with a ten percent property tax increase, Fertile’s preliminary budget numbers don’t add up.

The final 2026 budget and levy will be determined at the December city council meeting.  

Also at Monday’s meeting, the Fertile City Council interviewed two finalists for the City Attorney position: Ron Galstad, an attorney in East Grand Forks, and Cynthia Kirchoff, a specialist in municipal law with a Twin Cities law firm.

A final decision on a City Attorney has been put on hold until the City Council holds a special meeting to discuss the matter.