A word with Gene Hugoson

MINNEAPOLIS — Gene Hugoson, Minnesota’s Agriculture Commissioner, was named distinguished service award winner by the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council.

A farmer from East Chain, Minn., and five-term state legislator, Hugoson was appointed ag commissioner by Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson in 1995 and has served through the Jesse Ventura and Tim Pawlenty administrations. With the likelihood that Democrat Mark Dayton has won the 2010 election, Hugoson expects to be replaced in the post. The department has more than 400 full-time equivalent positions.

Agweek briefly interviewed Hugoson at the Minnesota Agri-Growth annual meeting Nov. 5 in Minneapolis.

Q. What is the situation in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture today, regarding budget cuts?

A. We were instructed to come up with scenarios for a 5, 10 and 15 percent cut. Based on the new administration making some kind of decision about what their new budget would look like, what would be required from each agency to make a “contribution” to that cost-cutting. Whoever comes in will have some idea of where to start, knowing that any decisions you make are going to have consequences. Any “fat” in the budget is long since gone. You’re going to have to eliminate programs or eliminate some of the funding the department has been involved with doing.

Q. When do these budget cuts come down?

A. We have to get that to the governor’s office sometime next week (of Nov. 8). It’ll be up to the new administration what they intend to do with it. The constitution requires that the governor present a budget to the Legislature by the end of February. If we’re looking at a shorter transition between administrations that makes it important for them to have ideas with which to work.

Q. Some of your key people may not have been there for as long as other employees. Does that make it tough to make cuts?

A. The Legislature this last time offered an early retirement incentive, including two years of health care to be provided by the agency they’re retiring from. We had 120 who qualified, but only about 20 who have indicated a willingness to proceed with it. The idea behind that is you can retire some of the higher-paid people with longevity and replace them with someone with lower pay or perhaps not continue with that position. I think you’d see a combination of the two. Along with that, the downside is you lose a lot experience — institutional knowledge and an ability to do the job.

Q. Are you concerned about losing some programs?

A. Reality is, you’re only looking at general-fund appropriated programs. Right now. the biggest general fund-appropriated program is food safety. The dilemma that I or any successor would face is that while that may be the opportunity to secure some major funding, it’s really not an area you want to look at cutting either. From the consumer standpoint. it’s an issue, but also from the producer side. I’ve always maintained that food safety is in the best interest of our producers.

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