Workman Township is one of 40 organized townships in Aitkin County, MN. There are also a number of unorganized townships (territories) in the county. Based on population (last census), Workman Township ranks 20th in the county with 207 citizens. The largest organized township in Aitkin County has a population of 1,272 citizens and the smallest has 34 citizens.
Aitkin County is one of 87 counties in the State of Minnesota. Aitkin County is larger than the entire State of Rhode Island in area; it has the oldest average age of all Minnesota counties at 54 years; and ranks near the bottom in economic prosperity for all MN counties. In 2020, persons age 65 and over surpassed persons age 1 to 18 in Minnesota.
Township Government
Townships are the original form of local government in Minnesota. Today, the term township generally refers to organized but unincorporated communities governed by a local board of supervisors and created to provide services to their residents. The board of supervisors are joined by a township clerk and a township treasurer. There are 1,781 townships across the State. Townships are written as law to be 6 miles x 6 miles or 36 miles square. Actual size does vary slightly due to terrain and surveyor issues.
Annual Meeting: On the second Tuesday of March each year is the township annual meeting. At this meeting, the residents of the township have a direct opportunity to have a voice in how the township will be run. They do this by voting on a variety of matters on which the town board must receive elector approval, and most importantly, by directly voting on and approving the township's tax levy for the next year. (Source: Minnesota Association of Townships website)
Township Elections: At the March 2017 Workman Township meeting we changed to mail-in ballots which will come from the auditors office at the Aitkin County Courthouse. We also changed the length of election to 4 years. Elections are now conducted in November with other local, state and federal elections. A candidate winning election in November will take office in January.
Aitkin County Election Info - click here.
Township Responsibilities
Workman Township Board is responsible for providing many services to its residents, including:
- Maintain accurate meeting minutes and records.
- Maintain accurate and complete financial records.
- A big responsibility is maintenance of our township roads.
- Our township maintains the Lakeview Cemetery.
- Provide election information for all levels of elections.
- Provides for fire and first responder services with Palisade and McGregor Fire Departments.
Township Geography
Workman Township is located in Aitkin County in north-central Minnesota. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.6 square miles, of which 32.9 square miles is land and 2.7 square miles, or 7.68%, is water.
Area lakes and rivers include: Lakes within the township include: Big Sandy Lake, Brown Lake, Flowage Lake, Rat Lake, Sanders Lake, and Sandy River Lake. The Mississippi River flows southerly through the northwest corner of the township.
Wold Wildlife Management Area (WMA): This WMA (425 acres) is a mix of upland and lowland timber types. Tamarack, black spruce, cedar and black ash types make up the lowland areas. While the uplands are aspen, birch, and balsam fir. There are beaver ponds on west portion of the unit. Wolves, fisher, mink, bear, deer, great horned owl, raven and black-capped chickadee may use this WMA. The purpose of this WMA is to provide wintering areas for deer. Link to MN DNR.
Click on map to enlarge.
“We’re kind of proud,” said James M. Berg, chair of Workman Township. His fellow township officers and staff at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis agree he has good reason to feel that way.
