County Board Update - November 6, 2009 – by Deloras Vind

It's budget time at the county board. We have a $900,000 shortfall! This is due to a variety of factors:
-$200,000 Managed Care Organization expense
-$280,000 shortfall in Unified Board/Human Services
-12% increase in health insurance rates for employees, a $287,700 increase
-3% wage increase for county employees
-$65,000 decrease in sales tax income
-decrease in new construction
-decrease in state revenue sharing of 2% or $26,723
-decrease in the fund balance sheet
-decrease in revenues from fees etc. in various county department
-decrease in state aids
-The need to balance the budget at county level and keep a healthy general fund

Whew!

The Executive/Finance committee has been working to keep the tax levy to 1.44% increase which is the rate of new growth in the county. They see large budget shortfalls looming for several years in the future. They are recommending the board cut about eleven county employee positions. Human Services will absorb Senior Services and the Health Department to increase efficiency, not cut programs to Trempealeau County residents. This is a difficult and unpopular decision the Executive/Finance members have made. The County Board will vote November 10th.

It has to be mentioned that our Assembly Representative Chris Danou and State Senator Kathleen Vinehout voted to decrease state funding to the county by 2%, plus decrease funding to various departments such as Human Services. They stuck the county with their problems. Yet they voted to increase the over all state budget spending leaving a $2.3 billion deficit for the state. Plus they voted for a property tax increase of $1.5 billion. The county employee health insurance is through the state of Wisconsin , which raised the insurance rates for the county employee’s cadillac health insurance this year by 12% (last year it was an 8% increase) or $287,700 - this amount equals the maximum amount the county can raise the budget! By-the-way, one health insurance perk for county employees is they pay no deductibles. The 3% wage increase for county employees is due to a three year contract of 3% increase per year the county board approved with the union and employees in 2008 (mine was the lone NO vote).

I agree with the Finance/Executive committee recommendations. We need a smaller more efficient county government. The third largest employer in Trempealeau County is the County! It can be done, but as in all politics the tax payer must hold elected officials accountable.

The 2010 Budget hearing is November 10, 2009 at 10AM. Contact information for the County Board is at www.tremplocounty.com click on “ County Board ” on the left hand side of the screen.