OSA Weekly Update - 8/28/2026

1. Message from Auditor Blaha

2. Reminder: Relief Association Reports

3. Available: TIF Excess Increments Statement of Position

4. Avoiding Pitfall: Vendor Gifts

5. Job Openings

1. Message from Auditor Blaha

Happy Minnesota State Fair to all who celebrate! The Great Minnesota Get-Together is like local government: It brings neighbors together as a community and is a place of tradition. Yesterday, I celebrated Opening Day with my tradition of greeting fairgoers, “auditing” new fair foods and meeting with fellow crop artists.

Since 2017, I’ve entered at least one crop art piece in the Minnesota State Fair Crop Art Competition. As I get ready to “pass the beans” to Minnesota’s 20th State Auditor, here’s one final opportunity to put your bean-counting prowess to the test: Look at the attached photo and make your best guess at how many beans I used to create this year’s piece.

Enter your estimate here. Guesses are due by the end of the day Friday, August 28, and the closest estimate wins bragging rights!

Note: This is about your best human guess. If you use AI to help calculate your estimate, let us know in your entry.

2. Reminder: Relief Association Reports

The first deadline for fire relief associations to be eligible to receive 2026 fire state aid is on September 15, less than a month away. You can check out our reporting compliance dashboard to see a relief association’s status in submitting required reports to the OSA and if the relief association has met its requirements with the OSA to be qualified for its aid distribution. Contact the OSA’s Pension team with any relief association reporting questions.

3. Available: TIF Excess Increments Statement of Position

The Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Division has published a new Statement of Position pertaining to excess increment. The 2026 Legislature clarified and simplified the calculation of excess increments and added a new decertification requirement. View the Excess Increments Statement of Position on the OSA website.

Additionally, the Pay-As-You-Go Obligations Statement of Position has been updated to include a section about the relationship between pay-as-you-go obligations and excess increment. View the Pay-As-You-Go Obligations Statement of Position on the OSA website.

4. Avoiding Pitfall: Vendor Gifts

Sometimes vendors with public contracts offer gifts to local government employees to build good relationships. Although vendor relationships can be cordial, they should not involve gifts to public employees.

Local officials, such as city and county officials, are subject to Minn. Stat. §471.895, which generally bans gifts. There are certain exceptions, such as a trinket or memento costing $5 or less. In addition, under Minn. Stat. §471.87, a public officer authorized to take part in making a contract in any manner generally is not allowed to have a personal financial interest in the purchase.

Government employees should not accept personal gifts from vendors or contractors. We recommend that entities create an ethics policy. This policy should expressly ban officers and employees from accepting personal gifts from vendors or contractors.

The full Avoiding Pitfall is available on the OSA website.

5.  Job Openings

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Human Resources Technician 2 (St. Paul)

The OSA is hiring a Human Resources Technician 2 position based in the St. Paul office.

This position exists to complete HR transaction processing and reporting, give new employee orientation, assist with retirement, provide benefit information, do special event planning, complete FMLA, MPL, and other leave coordination, provide HR support services, and interpret and administer collective bargaining agreements and compensation plans. This position provides consistent, accurate, and excellent customer service to employees, supervisors, managers, and others requesting information or services from Human Resources.

The job posting will close on September 1, 2026.