Mortenson, Bucholz take oath of office in OT County

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

The five-person Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners has two new members who were sworn in during the first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Dan Bucholz of rural Perham replaces the retired Doug Huebsch in District No. 1 which includes 13 townships and the communities of Perham, Dent, New York Mills and Richville.

Kurt Mortenson of rural Underwood replaces the retied John Lindquist in District No. 3 that includes 17 townships, the southeastern portion of Fergus Falls and the communities of Battle Lake, Dalton, Underwood and Rothsay.

Commissioner Lee Rogness of Fergus Falls, who was reelected in 2020, was named county board chairperson for 2021. Assuming the vice chair position for 2021 is Commissioner Betty Murphy of Maine Township.

The fifth county commissioner is Wayne Johnson of Pelican Rapids. He and Murphy will be up for reelection in 2022. County commissioners are elected to four-year terms.

Otter Tail County, with 62 townships, is larger in size than the state of Rhode Island and paved roads total 1,062 miles.

“We oversee a budget of close to $125 million,” Chairman Rogness said. “We make every effort to spend county tax dollars wisely while at the same time providing necessary services to county residents.”

The five-person county board makes decisions relating to county finances, public health, military veterans assistance, highway maintenance, land and resource management, solid waste, human services, emergency management and other services.