Do You Know the Cost of Burial?
The cost of burying indigent residents is increasing.
2014 $114,299 71 Burials
2015 $148,560 79 Burials
2016 $141,994 76 Burials
2017 $146,667 80 Burials
2018 $199,417 103 Burials
The county averaged 65% cremations versus direct burials. The County’s burial program covers only the final disposition of the body. Olmsted continues to buy burial plots at a discounted rate for future use. Strict guidelines are in place for families who apply for the burial program. Applicants are assisting in finding other resources before applications are approved.
I love Small Businesses. Look at the Numbers:
(Source: University of Minnesota Extension. B. Tuck and J Hawkins)
Most people think of the large businesses like Mayo and IBM when asked about employment numbers. However, here is the impact of small businesses.
- Businesses with fewer than 250 employees account for 99.9% of all establishments in Olmsted
- One in Three people who work in the county work for a small business.
- In 2016 an estimated an estimated 50% of the workforce was employed by small businesses of 250 employees or less. If we look at small business of fewer than 100 employees the numbers would be 37,779 people or 39% of the workforce.
- The highest number of small business jobs are in retail, hotel and food service, health care (not Mayo), auto repair, and beauty salons.
- Businesses with fewer than 250 employees generated $6.7 Billion or 35% of the county’s output; Businesses with fewer than 100 employees generated $5 Billion or about 27% of the total.
- Businesses with fewer than 250 employees paid an estimated $2.4 Billion in wages and businesses with fewer than 100 employees paid $1.9 Billion in wages.
Doing business with small business contributes to the local economy and prosperity for the county. Increasing small business sales by 5% would increase total economic activity in Olmsted County by and estimated $359.6 million. It would add an estimated 2,800 jobs and $129.6 million in labor income.