GRANITE FALLS - Yellow Medicine County has gotten a lot of attention over some residents' concerns about coyotes on their property, but members of the Yellow Medicine County Board said Tuesday they didn't think it would be worth it to pursue a predator bounty.

"My thinking is, constituents, contact your legislators," board chairman Gary Johnson said.

Commissioners continued a discussion involving reports of coyotes in the county and the possibility of offering bounties for hunters at their regular meeting. Some county residents had voiced concerns about depleted wildlife and danger to livestock from growing coyote populations.

"The only thing we did was bring concerns from our constituents," Johnson said. Since the coyote issue was discussed at the last meeting, he said, it's gotten a lot of attention.

Board members said they had even received mailings from a California animal rights group on ways to minimize human-coyote conflicts.

"I'm not against coyotes," commissioner Louis Sherlin said. "There are just too many of them."

Commissioners dismissed some of the group's suggestions, like keeping calves and lambs indoors and removing common coyote food and water sources, as unworkable for the county.

Minnesota hasn't had coyote bounties since the 1960s. State statutes say the Department of Natural Resources commissioner may authorize predator control bounties for a specific area, but the county board doubted it would happen at their request. Appealing to the Minnesota Legislature probably wouldn't work, either. Yellow Medicine County was already part of an unsuccessful push to bring back coyote bounties in 2005.

"I'm not in favor of going to the Legislature, it'd be a waste of our time," Johnson said.

"I don't think we need to make a formal complaint," said commissioner Dick Wambeke.

Board member Ron Antony said he would also be wary of promoting Yellow Medicine County as a coyote-hunting destination. Board consensus was to encourage area residents to contact the DNR or their legislators with concerns. Local coyote hunts would be welcome to continue, commissioners said.

Proposed revisions for the county's 2010 budget sparked discussion at the meeting. Cuts to the county culture and recreation budget, parks improvements and some staff hours totaling close to $90,000 were approved, but board chairman Gary Johnson thought the cuts weren't enough.

Yellow Medicine County is proposing a 4.9 percent levy increase for 2010, county administrator Ryan Krosch said, as well as projecting a budget deficit of about $400,000. Krosch said historically, the county has budgeted for a deficit, but it doesn't always end up with one. Both health insurance cost increases and state aid unallotments contributed to the projected 2010 deficit, he said.

The board reviewed two proposed budget cut options totaling $89,898. One option would reduce the working hours of county department heads slightly, leave an open part-time position vacant, and cut back on summer help for road and bridge maintenance. The second option included cuts to contributions for a variety of cultural organizations like the annual Arts Meander, a 50 percent reduction in funds for improvements to Timm Park, and cuts to contributions to the Small Business Development Corporation. Meanwhile, Krosch said items like contributions to the Yellow Medicine County Museum and the Canby Depot would stay in the budget.

"Why is the Canby Depot still in the budget when the Arts Meander is out?" Johnson asked.

"The Meander is private people making money, and not contributing back to the county," said board member Ron Antony.

Johnson asked why the cuts dealt more with contributions than county department budgets, especially if more state unallotments were on the way. Commissioners' opinions differed on which cuts should be made, but a roll call vote on each proposed item didn't change the list. The board voted 3-2 in favor of the cuts, with Antony and Johnson voting against.