What Otter Tail County does

Otter Tail County is a county government entity in West Central Minnesota, established in 1868, serving residents across five commissioner districts with a staff of approximately 231 employees. The county delivers public services including public safety (Sheriff's Office, jail, emergency management), health and human services, property and license management, elections administration, roads and transportation infrastructure (1,067 miles of County State Aid Highways and 74 bridges), environmental and natural resource management, parks and recreation, recycling and waste disposal, and economic development support. Its headquarters and main Government Services Center are located at 500 W Fir Ave, Fergus Falls, with operations supported by transfer stations, household hazardous waste collection sites, county parks (Phelps Mill County Park, Fort Juelson), and a 31-mile multi-use trail system.

The county operates a digital infrastructure comprising the ottertailcounty.gov website (available in 12 languages), online permitting and property tax lookup, event calendars, and news/records portals. There is no public API or developer-accessible interface; service delivery relies on a combination of online self-service, in-person visits, and mobile collection events. Revenue is generated through property taxation, license and permit transaction fees (alcohol, tobacco, firearms, cannabis, business, marriage, driver's licenses, passports, septic/shoreland permits, and vehicle registrations), intergovernmental funding from Minnesota state agencies and federal sources, public data request fees ($0.03 per record with a $35 minimum for customized datasets), and tax-forfeited land auctions.

The county is governed by a five-member elected Board of Commissioners, with additional elected officials including the County Attorney and County Sheriff, and an appointed County Administrator leading four service teams: Health & Wellness; Safety & Justice; Finance, Property & License Management; and Economic Growth & Community Investment. Strategic partnerships include the West Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the University of Minnesota, the Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority, Perham Resource Recovery Facility, and the Otter Tail Lakes Country Association for tourism promotion. The Long-Range Strategic Plan addresses six elements: Resilience, Economy, Land Use, Public Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Parks and Trails.

Name

Otter Tail County

Legal name

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Website

https://ottertailcounty.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Otter Tail County is a West Central Minnesota county government serving residents across five commissioner districts with 231 employees. It delivers public safety, infrastructure (1,067 miles of highways, 74 bridges), health, environmental, and administrative services funded primarily through property taxes, license/permit fees, and intergovernmental funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

County Government Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (92612), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Police Protection (922120)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Provincial Transportation, Roads & Public Works Administration (BPAIABAK)

Keywords

• County government services
• Property tax administration
• Public safety services
• Environmental management
• Parks and recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Fergus Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Property taxes collected from residential, commercial, and agricultural property owners within Otter Tail County form a core portion of county government funding.
2. Licenses and Permits Fees: Fees collected for various licenses including alcohol, tobacco, firearms, cannabis, business licenses, marriage licenses, driver's licenses, passports, and various permits including property development, septic systems, shoreland, and vehicle registrations.
3. State and Federal Funding: Intergovernmental revenue from Minnesota state government and federal agencies for various programs including public health, human services, transportation, and emergency management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Otter Tail County is a county government entity providing public administration and resident services across five commissioner districts. Core offerings include property tax assessment and collection, licenses and permits (business, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, cannabis, marriage, vehicle), public safety through the Sheriff's Office and jail, elections administration, environmental and natural resource management, recycling and waste disposal (including household hazardous waste), roads and transportation (1,067 miles of highways and 74 bridges), parks and recreation facilities, and business and workforce development.

Product overview

Otter Tail County is a government entity providing public services to residents rather than a technology product company. The county website (ottertailcounty.gov) serves as an informational and transactional portal offering access to government services including: Assistance and Support (financial assistance, health services, housing resources, veteran services), Business and Workforce Development, Elections and Voting, Environment and Natural Resources, Licenses/Permits/Records/Inspections, Parks and Recreation, Property and Home services, Public Safety and Law, Recycling and Waste Disposal, and Roads and Transportation. These are government service offerings, not commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Tax Administration and Assessment Property tax lookup, billing, payment, and assessment services for residential, commercial, and agricultural property owners in Otter Tail County.
• Licenses, Permits, Records and Inspections Issuance of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, cannabis, business, marriage, driver's licenses, passports, and permits for property development, septic systems, shoreland, and vehicle registrations.
• Public Safety and Law Enforcement Sheriff's Office operations, jail management, emergency management, and public safety services for residents and visitors throughout Otter Tail County.
• Elections and Voting Services Elections administration including absentee voting, early voting, and ballot-by-mail services for county voters.
• Recycling and Waste Disposal Recycling drop-off locations, transfer stations, household hazardous waste facility, food waste drop-off sites, and mobile collection events throughout the county.
• Roads and Transportation Infrastructure Maintenance and management of 1,067 miles of County State Aid Highways and 74 bridges, including road construction and bridge projects.
• Parks and Recreation County parks (Phelps Mill, Fort Juelson), the 31-mile Heart of the Lakes Trail, and partnerships with state parks (Glendalough, Maplewood, Inspiration Peak). Includes shelter reservations and fee-based facility use.
• Business and Workforce Development Business licensing, succession planning, and workforce development support in partnership with the West Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
• Assistance and Support Programs Financial assistance, health services, housing resources, veteran services, cash assistance, economic assistance, and summer meal programs for county residents in need.
• Environment and Natural Resources Management Invasive species control, natural resource management, recycling oversight, and environmental programs for the county's unique continental divide geography.
• Public Records and Data Requests Public data requests at $0.03 per record with a $35.00 minimum charge for customized datasets; free for governmental agencies.
• Visitor Services and Tourism Promotion Visitor information, tourism promotion, and activity guidance delivered in partnership with the Otter Tail Lakes Country Association.
• Tax-Forfeited Land Auctions Regular public auctions of tax-forfeited lands ranging from undeveloped parcels to finished houses, conducted via publicsurplus.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,048 lakes managed and protected for residents and visitors

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides no-cost business advising services to Otter Tail County businesses through the West Central Minnesota SBDC, supporting small business development and growth in the region.
• University of MinnesotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Minnesota president attended the East Otter Tail County Fair, indicating ongoing academic-community partnership. The county also offers youth workforce navigation services in partnership with educational institutions.
• Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOtter Tail County participates in the Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority for regional waste management coordination.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wadena County: Nearby rural Minnesota county with a similar small-population, service-broad profile. Comparable in licensing, road, and public-safety operating scope.
• Becker County: Neighboring West Central Minnesota county with comparable population, tourism/lake economy, and county service mix. Directly comparable in scale of roads, parks, and licensing operations.
• Douglas County: Immediately neighboring Minnesota county with a similar rural profile and lake-country economy. Provides the same suite of county services and faces parallel infrastructure and workforce constraints.
• Stearns County: Adjacent West Central Minnesota county of comparable size performing the same core county-government functions (public safety, roads, licensing, property assessment, environmental services). Highly comparable operating model, revenue mix, and resident-service mandate.
• Todd County: Adjacent rural Minnesota county with similar population size and economic base. Delivers the same core county functions and faces the same rural service-delivery challenges.
• Clay County: West Central Minnesota county in the same region operating under the same Minnesota statutes. Comparable county-government service portfolio and revenue structure.

Broad incumbents

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA): State environmental regulator with overlapping jurisdiction over water quality, waste, and natural-resource management across counties including Otter Tail. Relevant peer for environmental and waste-management functions.
• Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT): State-level transportation authority that owns and operates much of the broader highway network connecting to county roads. Overlaps with Otter Tail's roads/transportation mandate at a larger geographic and budgetary scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/otter-tail-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Otter Tail County