BLUE EARTH– Faribault County License Bureau supervisor Amy Salinas attended the Faribault County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday with the goal of making disabled veterans aware of benefits they are eligible to receive for various services at the license bureau.

“There are benefits available to those veterans who are 100 percent disabled,” Salinas said. “Those veterans who are 100 percent disabled are exempt from registration fees (including filing fees) for two vehicles of their choosing. This includes passenger vehicles, non-commercial 1-ton pickups, motorcycles and RVs.”

Salinas added that 100 percent disabled veterans will be exempt from title fees for vehicles purchased on or after Jan. 1, 2024, not including salvage inspections or fast track fees.

“Those same veterans will also be exempt from driver’s license and identification card fees for all types of cards – standard, REAL and enhanced,” Salinas commented. “Beginning July 1 of last year, they are to be exempt from paying motor vehicle sales taxes for vehicles purchased on or after that date.”

Salinas explained that in order to utilize these benefits, veterans should bring their award letter or statement of benefits with them to the Faribault County License Bureau in order to show proof of their 100 percent service connection.

While at the meeting, Salinas also reported that her office processed 17,598 transactions in 2024, which was 1,300 more than the previous year.

“I also want to encourage people to drop off or do your license and registration business locally,” Salinas said. “If you mail your fees into the State, the State keeps the filing fees. If you conduct your business locally, the fees stay in our county.”

Salinas also expressed her thanks for the decision made a few years ago which allowed payment in the local office by credit card.

“We had about $350,000 charged through credit cards,” she stated. “And with credit card payments we don’t have to worry about accepting bad checks.”

In other business, the board:

— Approved licenses for 11 solid waste haulers and five recycling haulers.

— Granted a gambling permit for Pheasants Forever for a raffle at the Golden Bubble on Feb. 22.

— Recognized Kasta Amundson and Sara Hauskins for five years of service to the county and Luke Schonborn for one year of service.

— Approved the hiring of former Freeborn County auditor Pat Martinson for part-time help for the next six months.

— Approved the training requests of Susan Yahnke of the Sheriff’s Department to take a training course on forfeitures and to also attend the Minnesota Emergency Management Conference; Brittney Gehrking of the Sheriff’s Department to attend the United States Police Canine Association Narcotics Trial; Sheriff’s Department employee Todd Hanevik to attend the Fifth District Jail Administrators Conference; and Vincent Do of the Sheriff’s Department to attend a Cellular Phones, Technology, Mapping and Analysis Course.