COVID-19 had major impact on Prairie Lakes Wellness Center’s finances in 2020  (Audio)

May 5, 2021

Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–COVID-19 put a big damper on the finances of many businesses, big and small in 2020, and Watertown’s city-owned and operated Prairie Lakes Wellness Center (PLWC) was no exception.

Watertown Finance Officer Kristen Bobzien gave the city council a preliminary 2020 financial report this week. She referred to it as a, “pre-audit report.” And she touched on the finances of the PLWC, which opened in March 2017….

On a citywide level,  Bobzien says revenue was up by millions of dollars last year, due largely to the receipt of federal CARES Act dollars…

Watertown’s sales tax collections were higher, although they came up short of what was budgeted….

Bobzien says Watertown’s expenses last year rose $785,000, or 5.1 percent, the majority of which was due to the implementation of a wage study that was done.