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Transcript
| And is. | 00:00:00 | |
| We haven't got Supervisor Conley on the phone, right? | 00:00:01 | |
| All right. | 00:00:11 | |
| And supervisor Chloe Char is not here so. | 00:00:17 | |
| OK. All right. Roll call has been taken. | 00:00:21 | |
| If you are here. | 00:00:25 | |
| For the. | 00:00:26 | |
| Public hearing. | 00:00:27 | |
| There are forms out. | 00:00:29 | |
| On the table and we would. | 00:00:31 | |
| Appreciate a form filled out so we can take everyone in order. | 00:00:32 | |
| So at this point there are no. | 00:00:36 | |
| Forms filled, so I'm. | 00:00:38 | |
| So I will declare the public hearing on the 2026 Dodge County budget open and receive testimony. | 00:00:42 | |
| And the clerk will. | 00:00:49 | |
| Read the notice. | 00:00:51 | |
| On October 30th, 2025, I received a proof of publication affidavit from Lee Enterprises dating Ashley Singleton of the Daily | 00:00:53 | |
| Citizen newspaper. | 00:00:58 | |
| Publish the Dodge County budget notice on October 14th, 2025 in the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen. | 00:01:03 | |
| The proof of publication affidavit is on file in my office. | 00:01:10 | |
| Thank you. | 00:01:15 | |
| Is there anyone here for the public hearing? | 00:01:18 | |
| Nobody. | 00:01:24 | |
| Since we have no one here. | 00:01:28 | |
| I will declare the public hearing closed. | 00:01:30 | |
| We're down to #6 board discussion on the 2026 budget. | 00:01:36 | |
| Are there specific? | 00:01:41 | |
| Questions anyone would have? | 00:01:44 | |
| One thing. | 00:01:46 | |
| You want to make the announcement about the forms on the desk. | 00:01:47 | |
| Each person does have two. | 00:01:52 | |
| Hard copies of the amendment forms on your desk. | 00:01:56 | |
| If you think that you need another hard copy, please let me know. I have a few extra up here or I can get you another one. | 00:01:59 | |
| Also, they are available online if you want to do that digitally. | 00:02:06 | |
| Are there any? | 00:02:15 | |
| Questions. | 00:02:18 | |
| What did the Forbes do and. | 00:02:20 | |
| So the form should be submitted to the finance department so that they can. | 00:02:24 | |
| Make sure that the accounts and the amounts. | 00:02:30 | |
| You know, changed according to what your amendment would be. | 00:02:33 | |
| The oh I have to grab the dates here. | 00:02:39 | |
| So. | 00:02:45 | |
| Ideally. | 00:02:46 | |
| You would submit your amendments to Finance. | 00:02:47 | |
| By Monday, November. | 00:02:51 | |
| Third. Yeah. | 00:02:53 | |
| By noon. | 00:02:55 | |
| The absolute last date to submit those would be Friday the 7th at noon. | 00:02:57 | |
| Any others would have to be brought forth on that day in writing. | 00:03:05 | |
| Supervisor Steger. | 00:03:11 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:03:13 | |
| In my district. | 00:03:16 | |
| I've been getting a lot of feedback from my constituents. | 00:03:17 | |
| I have roads that are just crumbling. | 00:03:21 | |
| The edges are gone and they're not. | 00:03:24 | |
| Expected to be done for another three years. | 00:03:28 | |
| And I know we only got 8.9 miles right now in the budget. | 00:03:31 | |
| For roads. | 00:03:35 | |
| And I know all the rule is. | 00:03:36 | |
| That they want to do 22 miles. | 00:03:38 | |
| A year, Try to do 22 miles a year, that's. | 00:03:42 | |
| That's figuring a 25 year plan. | 00:03:45 | |
| Well. | 00:03:47 | |
| The roads that you do, you can't tell me that they're going to last 25 years. | 00:03:49 | |
| Not the way they're doing them. | 00:03:55 | |
| You know. | 00:03:56 | |
| They're doing them to the best they can with the money that they have, but. | 00:03:57 | |
| You're not going to get 25 years out of a Rd. | 00:04:01 | |
| And I just feel that that 22 or that 25 year. | 00:04:04 | |
| Turn her on. | 00:04:09 | |
| Should be pushed up more. | 00:04:10 | |
| And I know it's going to cost more money. We're we're going to have to come up. | 00:04:12 | |
| And find a different way. | 00:04:17 | |
| Or more funding for our roads still. | 00:04:19 | |
| Thank you. | 00:04:22 | |
| OK. | 00:04:23 | |
| Anyone else? | 00:04:26 | |
| Supervisor Free Vault. | 00:04:31 | |
| I just wanted to say that I did receive several phone calls from people in my district who were. | 00:04:33 | |
| Very against. | 00:04:39 | |
| US borrowing money for the roads. | 00:04:42 | |
| And I tried to direct him as many of them as I could to you so you could hear him too. | 00:04:44 | |
| So. | 00:04:48 | |
| And, and I did get some calls from other districts and I tried to send them to you guys too. So I don't know, everybody was | 00:04:49 | |
| calling me so. | 00:04:52 | |
| Swelling. | 00:04:55 | |
| Anyone else? | 00:05:02 | |
| Supervisor Hedrick. | 00:05:03 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to thank the Administrator and Finance Director and Finance. | 00:05:06 | |
| Department for all of the hard work. | 00:05:13 | |
| Putting this together, this is a wonderful document. | 00:05:15 | |
| It gets more comprehensive every year. | 00:05:18 | |
| And easier for. | 00:05:21 | |
| People like me who aren't overly. | 00:05:23 | |
| Financially literate. | 00:05:25 | |
| To understand and follow and. | 00:05:27 | |
| Make sense of. | 00:05:30 | |
| I just appreciation. | 00:05:31 | |
| Any other comments, questions? | 00:05:37 | |
| We all made the effort to be here, so if you have questions, now is a good time. | 00:05:45 | |
| Seeing none. | 00:05:55 | |
| I will entertain a motion from. | 00:05:57 | |
| Here we go, Supervisor Houchin. | 00:06:01 | |
| I didn't drive all this way for 6 minutes. | 00:06:03 | |
| I talked to. | 00:06:10 | |
| Mr. Clapper today. | 00:06:11 | |
| In reference to a comment that was made on the floor from. | 00:06:13 | |
| Lisa on. | 00:06:18 | |
| Tuesday night about. | 00:06:19 | |
| 75% of our budget being mandated. | 00:06:21 | |
| And. | 00:06:24 | |
| I really think we need to know how much of this budget is mandated and how much of this mandate. | 00:06:25 | |
| Is reimbursable because some of the mandates we get. | 00:06:30 | |
| The money for from the government we know a lot of HSS gets. | 00:06:34 | |
| Reimbursed. | 00:06:38 | |
| So. | 00:06:39 | |
| Mr. Clapper couldn't tell me. | 00:06:42 | |
| He says he can't tell me until after the 12th. | 00:06:45 | |
| Which is a little too late. | 00:06:47 | |
| From in my opinion, I'm glad to get it. | 00:06:49 | |
| I want to get it. | 00:06:51 | |
| But I think the board needs to know how much of this is mandated. | 00:06:52 | |
| How much is reimbursed of that is mandated and? | 00:06:56 | |
| I know I can find some money in this budget towards Rose. | 00:07:00 | |
| And I think we need to have an open discussion tonight about. | 00:07:04 | |
| How we're going to pay for roads if we don't do borrowing? | 00:07:07 | |
| Where we can find it? | 00:07:10 | |
| Your constituents. | 00:07:12 | |
| What new roads, We all know that. | 00:07:13 | |
| I mean, it's out there. | 00:07:15 | |
| So what can we? | 00:07:16 | |
| Give one more year with. | 00:07:19 | |
| In order to get some money for roads. | 00:07:21 | |
| I know we all like new, we like Shiny, we think that our request is the most important. | 00:07:23 | |
| But what could I have for one more year? | 00:07:29 | |
| At least and then. | 00:07:31 | |
| During this next year, we have to iron out this. | 00:07:32 | |
| This thing about roads and maybe the enterprise. | 00:07:36 | |
| The enterprise of Hwy. will figure out where they can save some money so they have more money towards roads because. | 00:07:41 | |
| Hopefully. | 00:07:47 | |
| The enterprise is making money so they can do the roads. | 00:07:47 | |
| Because when I looked at. | 00:07:51 | |
| The finances on that, it looked like there are a lot of problems in the highway. | 00:07:53 | |
| With money so. | 00:07:57 | |
| I guess I'd really like us to have a discussion on roads and how we're, we all know that's the major issue. | 00:08:00 | |
| And how we're going to find money and. | 00:08:06 | |
| If we don't borrow. | 00:08:08 | |
| I mean. | 00:08:10 | |
| I I've done some research. | 00:08:10 | |
| I figured out some money ways to get money. | 00:08:13 | |
| If we. | 00:08:15 | |
| Don't give away the community grant. That's 2 million there. We've got a million of ARPA sitting. | 00:08:17 | |
| City interest sitting there, we could use some of that. | 00:08:23 | |
| And maybe if we had a few less of this or that or the other thing. | 00:08:27 | |
| Maybe we could come up with some money. | 00:08:30 | |
| And I think the county also needs to think about shared services. | 00:08:33 | |
| How could we share with another county something that would save us money and the money? | 00:08:36 | |
| The thing that. | 00:08:42 | |
| I think of right away when I think about that and I don't even know if it would save money or not. | 00:08:43 | |
| Is like dispatch. | 00:08:47 | |
| Because when you call into dispatch, they know. | 00:08:49 | |
| Where you live immediately. | 00:08:51 | |
| And could we share dispatch with another county? | 00:08:53 | |
| Went side by side and. | 00:08:56 | |
| I don't know if it would save us money or not. | 00:08:58 | |
| I just think it's something to look into. | 00:09:00 | |
| Are there other ways we could look? | 00:09:02 | |
| Into saving some money by shared services. | 00:09:04 | |
| Thanks. | 00:09:07 | |
| Cameron and and finance, is there a way that we would be able to have. | 00:09:14 | |
| At least an estimate of what? | 00:09:19 | |
| The unfunded mandates. | 00:09:21 | |
| I've been looking for Splendid. | 00:09:27 | |
| Or your. I think the question was a question for. | 00:09:29 | |
| Those things that are funded, that are mandated. | 00:09:32 | |
| Just just period all the things that are mandated. | 00:09:34 | |
| And what the cost is that we're reimbursed for? | 00:09:36 | |
| OK. | 00:09:40 | |
| OK. Thank you. Yep. | 00:09:41 | |
| Yeah, so I, I know. | 00:09:43 | |
| Well yes to knowing something about or giving you a ballpark on what services there are. | 00:09:46 | |
| It's a little bit more. | 00:09:55 | |
| We could give you estimates. | 00:09:57 | |
| But we would not be able to give you, I think. | 00:09:58 | |
| Exact dollars. | 00:10:01 | |
| Do you have any more? | 00:10:02 | |
| Right. A good, very good point, Mackenzie. So another. | 00:10:10 | |
| Peace with that what we would. | 00:10:15 | |
| What we would want to share for you is what is required by statute. | 00:10:17 | |
| But then there's also. | 00:10:23 | |
| Well, most of it directly or indirectly. | 00:10:24 | |
| Goes to a statute. | 00:10:27 | |
| But there are some things that are. | 00:10:29 | |
| Not necessarily mandated, but you wouldn't do the mandated service. | 00:10:31 | |
| Without having them. | 00:10:35 | |
| So. | 00:10:36 | |
| I don't really think. | 00:10:37 | |
| Any of. | 00:10:39 | |
| Any of general administration is. | 00:10:40 | |
| Perhaps directly mandated? | 00:10:43 | |
| But if you don't have people. | 00:10:46 | |
| They're savvy and software and you don't have people that are keeping track of our books. | 00:10:47 | |
| Then we can't necessarily fulfill other statutory responsibilities. We have the county. | 00:10:52 | |
| So. | 00:10:57 | |
| I can break that out. | 00:10:59 | |
| And I can give, but it's going to be very general. So when we talk today, my reason for saying I couldn't do that is. | 00:11:01 | |
| Is it would be very general, I would love to have a more specific number. | 00:11:06 | |
| But. | 00:11:10 | |
| That. | 00:11:11 | |
| We would have to wait until we had a budget or we could we could look at doing that for a year that has passed already. | 00:11:11 | |
| But every time. | 00:11:17 | |
| We make a change or something happens over the course of the year. | 00:11:18 | |
| Grant dollar shift. | 00:11:22 | |
| That we're getting for some of those services. | 00:11:23 | |
| And things fluctuate, so ballpark is what we could do. | 00:11:25 | |
| Thank you. | 00:11:29 | |
| Supervisor Keel. | 00:11:32 | |
| Yes, thank you. | 00:11:34 | |
| When you talk about wanting to. | 00:11:37 | |
| Cut expenses so that we have. | 00:11:40 | |
| Money for roads? | 00:11:45 | |
| You have to think of the source of the funding. | 00:11:47 | |
| That you're. | 00:11:50 | |
| Looking for. | 00:11:51 | |
| Is it something that can be switched? | 00:11:52 | |
| And on page 12 in the budget. | 00:11:55 | |
| Is a good summary of how things are funded. | 00:11:58 | |
| And I just like to. | 00:12:02 | |
| Point out that. | 00:12:04 | |
| On the left. | 00:12:05 | |
| Side is your expenses. | 00:12:06 | |
| And then over on the. | 00:12:09 | |
| Right side you show the revenues, how are we funding each everyone? | 00:12:10 | |
| Each department. | 00:12:15 | |
| Operations. Those are generated revenues or grants. | 00:12:16 | |
| Then you've got tax levy and you've got sales tax. | 00:12:20 | |
| And a few other revenues which are usually internal. | 00:12:23 | |
| Transactions. | 00:12:27 | |
| So. | 00:12:29 | |
| I'm just saying you have tax levy as a source. | 00:12:31 | |
| And you have sales tax as a source. So yes, the 2 million that is going to. | 00:12:34 | |
| Community Development. | 00:12:41 | |
| Is showing up under sales tax under the county administrator. | 00:12:43 | |
| Other than that, you know you're. | 00:12:49 | |
| You're looking at. | 00:12:51 | |
| Specific projects that were in the capital improvement plan. | 00:12:52 | |
| That were given priorities, so you change your priorities. | 00:12:58 | |
| To but, but in total, you know, sales tax is 10 million. | 00:13:04 | |
| You're going to put all 10 million of roads because the roads figure. | 00:13:09 | |
| That you need. | 00:13:12 | |
| If you're going to start. | 00:13:14 | |
| You know, getting up to. | 00:13:16 | |
| I'm not going to talk to 22, but between the 8. | 00:13:20 | |
| Point something to the 22. | 00:13:23 | |
| Another 10 miles. | 00:13:26 | |
| You're talking how many millions? | 00:13:27 | |
| 15. | 00:13:30 | |
| You know what a road cost. | 00:13:31 | |
| Five years ago is probably double now. | 00:13:34 | |
| Between. | 00:13:39 | |
| Labor and the fuel. | 00:13:41 | |
| For they asked for all the oil. So I'm just saying you've got to look at the. | 00:13:44 | |
| What is available to you? | 00:13:48 | |
| And in general government. | 00:13:51 | |
| General Fund. | 00:13:54 | |
| Under the general government. | 00:13:56 | |
| You know when you talk mandates, court systems. | 00:13:59 | |
| You have to function. | 00:14:04 | |
| And that's where your levees go, Sheriff. | 00:14:06 | |
| You know. | 00:14:10 | |
| If you look down that column, there's your levees. | 00:14:11 | |
| And you can only move those monies around so much. I just wanted to point that out. | 00:14:15 | |
| That's a. | 00:14:20 | |
| Good place, you know. | 00:14:20 | |
| And cutting expenses. | 00:14:23 | |
| Cutting people. | 00:14:25 | |
| I always want to make this point. | 00:14:27 | |
| When you cut one person, remember you're paying for the unemployment. | 00:14:29 | |
| And then they will probably go on our social service roles. | 00:14:33 | |
| For health insurance. | 00:14:36 | |
| Or something. So you you need to. | 00:14:38 | |
| Think of the consequences and then. | 00:14:41 | |
| The Lawson service. | 00:14:43 | |
| We're not serving our client. | 00:14:45 | |
| Our customers. | 00:14:47 | |
| Our citizens. | 00:14:49 | |
| Thank you. | 00:14:51 | |
| Supervisor bubbles. | 00:14:53 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chair. | 00:14:56 | |
| When you talk about borrowing money for roads. | 00:14:58 | |
| I think a lot of. | 00:15:01 | |
| The constituents. | 00:15:03 | |
| Think uh. | 00:15:05 | |
| OK, you're gonna borrow money for roads. You're gonna fix all our roads. | 00:15:06 | |
| And that's a big misconception that they don't understand. | 00:15:10 | |
| The road surrounding my home. | 00:15:14 | |
| Are all town roads. | 00:15:16 | |
| We can borrow. | 00:15:17 | |
| $17 million a year. | 00:15:19 | |
| It's not going to fix one of my roads. | 00:15:22 | |
| And they don't get that concept in. | 00:15:26 | |
| I think. | 00:15:31 | |
| If we want to borrow money, I'm more apt to go with a referendum. Let the people speak. | 00:15:33 | |
| Instead of. | 00:15:39 | |
| 32 or 33 of us make the decision that's going to affect everyone because. | 00:15:41 | |
| If we take and borrow money. | 00:15:47 | |
| To fix. | 00:15:50 | |
| The county roads. | 00:15:51 | |
| The townships. | 00:15:53 | |
| Borrow money. | 00:15:54 | |
| To fix the town roads. OK, now we're taxed twice. | 00:15:56 | |
| How many school referendums do we have out in all different communities? I know the school district, Beaver Dam has three of them | 00:16:00 | |
| going right now. | 00:16:04 | |
| There's got to be a different way. | 00:16:11 | |
| And I think if we really seriously want to borrow money, let. | 00:16:13 | |
| The people speak. | 00:16:18 | |
| So I would be more favorable. | 00:16:20 | |
| For referendum. | 00:16:23 | |
| Even if it's going to cost. | 00:16:24 | |
| A little more upfront, they're gonna know. | 00:16:26 | |
| Instead of justice, all of us making a decision for them. | 00:16:30 | |
| Thank you. | 00:16:34 | |
| Supervisor. | 00:16:36 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:16:38 | |
| Just two things. | 00:16:40 | |
| When supervisor how Chin was talking about the shared services, that's a great idea. I do know that the highway department. | 00:16:41 | |
| They, I was not at this meeting, but they just had all the local villages and towns and municipalities and for the LRIP. | 00:16:48 | |
| Allocations and how they're going to divvy out that funding. | 00:16:55 | |
| But there also was, if I recall right, and I, like I said, I wasn't there. One of my fellow supervisors from Calamus was there. | 00:17:00 | |
| There was another meeting afterwards where the highway department inquired. | 00:17:05 | |
| About what resources that towns have. | 00:17:10 | |
| That maybe that we could feed off each other. | 00:17:13 | |
| To help. | 00:17:15 | |
| Offset some of these costs that all of our municipalities. | 00:17:16 | |
| Together. So I just wanted to make that aware because I'm sure a lot of people don't know that. | 00:17:20 | |
| You know, as far as brown for the roads, I think I made it clear the other night I'm in favor of it. I've done it for the town of | 00:17:25 | |
| Kalamas. | 00:17:28 | |
| And it's worked out really good. | 00:17:31 | |
| I understand supervisors bullets concerns with the town roads. | 00:17:33 | |
| You know the towns are borrowing and the person that lives on the town Rd. might not benefit from it. | 00:17:38 | |
| But they are because they're still using our county roads, so. | 00:17:42 | |
| I I like I said, I respect everyone's opinion, but I just. | 00:17:46 | |
| I I do think it's something that needs to be done. | 00:17:49 | |
| Thank you. | 00:17:52 | |
| Supervisor Derrick. | 00:17:53 | |
| I'm I'm always normally saying that we. | 00:17:56 | |
| We really shouldn't be supervising this and we shouldn't be doing that and. | 00:17:59 | |
| We got to do policy. | 00:18:02 | |
| And I'm. | 00:18:04 | |
| Actually saying that. | 00:18:05 | |
| Doing the budget? | 00:18:07 | |
| Is policy. | 00:18:08 | |
| This. | 00:18:10 | |
| Is our job. | 00:18:11 | |
| And. | 00:18:13 | |
| The authority we get. | 00:18:14 | |
| To make these determinations comes from the people that elected us. | 00:18:16 | |
| So we don't need a second. | 00:18:22 | |
| Pseudo election. | 00:18:23 | |
| Right, It's our fundamental job. | 00:18:25 | |
| To approve a budget. | 00:18:28 | |
| And. | 00:18:31 | |
| I I truly respect and I get a lot of calls and I really want to hear what people say. | 00:18:34 | |
| And yet a lot of people who call. | 00:18:40 | |
| Don't have the benefit of. | 00:18:43 | |
| Listening to the finance director, they don't have the benefit of listening to the accounting firm that's telling us how much. | 00:18:45 | |
| How? | 00:18:53 | |
| Really significant our fund balances. | 00:18:54 | |
| And explaining how. | 00:18:58 | |
| Municipal finance works and how we would be refreshing it. You know, our constituents don't have that. | 00:19:00 | |
| And we do. | 00:19:06 | |
| So. | 00:19:07 | |
| I think a lot of schools do referendums because it's required by statute. There's a cap. | 00:19:09 | |
| And you know. | 00:19:13 | |
| We can do whatever budget we want, but I. | 00:19:15 | |
| I think this is our one of our core responsibilities. | 00:19:17 | |
| Supervisor Guckenberger. | 00:19:22 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:19:24 | |
| I get to. | 00:19:26 | |
| Two issues or two concerns, so. | 00:19:26 | |
| Tech one first and then. | 00:19:29 | |
| We'll look back to the other one. | 00:19:30 | |
| I would want to know who made the decision and I'm going to use this word. | 00:19:33 | |
| To gut the UW Extension program or the staff within that department. | 00:19:38 | |
| I mean, we're down to. | 00:19:44 | |
| One individual. | 00:19:48 | |
| When you look at. | 00:19:51 | |
| Overall staffing within the whole county, you know that department took. | 00:19:52 | |
| A substantial hit. | 00:19:56 | |
| And I wanna know how that's gonna affect the programs within their. | 00:19:59 | |
| More specifically, you know, for each programs and programs for the youth. | 00:20:03 | |
| Because it just seems like if if we're left with one individual to. | 00:20:09 | |
| Work in that department. | 00:20:13 | |
| May not be enough. | 00:20:18 | |
| So if if. | 00:20:19 | |
| Cameron, OR. | 00:20:22 | |
| Whoever made the decision to. | 00:20:23 | |
| To put these cuts in place would. | 00:20:24 | |
| Give me some of the justification, then I could live with that. | 00:20:27 | |
| Go ahead. All right. | 00:20:34 | |
| Good question, So let me share with you. | 00:20:36 | |
| I guess ultimately, from the county's perspective, I would be the one that would be accountable for. | 00:20:38 | |
| For that decision. | 00:20:42 | |
| However, it's. | 00:20:44 | |
| The extension is not directly reporting to us and I had a conversation with the area. | 00:20:46 | |
| Director. | 00:20:51 | |
| For extension. | 00:20:52 | |
| We have shifted focus or responsibility for the Dodge County Fair. | 00:20:54 | |
| At least. | 00:21:00 | |
| Anything the county does to support the Dodge County Fair. | 00:21:01 | |
| That has by and by. | 00:21:04 | |
| Been removed. | 00:21:06 | |
| From the extension office. | 00:21:07 | |
| So there was one part time position involved with 4H. | 00:21:09 | |
| That. | 00:21:13 | |
| After our area. | 00:21:14 | |
| Extension director looked into. | 00:21:16 | |
| Their day-to-day. | 00:21:18 | |
| Determined that you know that position if if. | 00:21:20 | |
| The extensions not taking care of or funding or. | 00:21:23 | |
| Fulfilling responsibilities associated with the overall Dodge County Fair. Anymore, that position is unnecessary. | 00:21:27 | |
| So that was eliminated. | 00:21:33 | |
| Then we had the. | 00:21:36 | |
| Reduction in. | 00:21:38 | |
| Personnel. | 00:21:40 | |
| Just statewide and extension wide from the. | 00:21:41 | |
| Big beautiful Bill and the elimination of the SNAP program. So our food wise folks that would be meeting with school. | 00:21:44 | |
| Districts and talking about. | 00:21:51 | |
| Brushing your teeth and eating, eating well and some exercise programs and Wellness things like that, they're gone. | 00:21:53 | |
| That's that's unrelated to anything we. | 00:21:59 | |
| We've done. | 00:22:01 | |
| But then also after looking at, oh, I guess I should say too, in addition to those we had. | 00:22:03 | |
| We had tried an experiment in 2025. | 00:22:08 | |
| And we brought in a person that could be a support in the realm of economic development. | 00:22:12 | |
| But that. | 00:22:18 | |
| The ultimately we learned from that experience. | 00:22:19 | |
| That what we need. | 00:22:22 | |
| In that spot was not what we. | 00:22:24 | |
| But we had. | 00:22:27 | |
| I guess. | 00:22:28 | |
| Available to us in terms of not because of the person we had a. | 00:22:29 | |
| Very capable individual. | 00:22:34 | |
| But. | 00:22:36 | |
| The the realm and focus that. | 00:22:36 | |
| That she. | 00:22:38 | |
| Was involved in. | 00:22:39 | |
| Wasn't as direct and. | 00:22:41 | |
| Helpful for our. | 00:22:44 | |
| Economic development efforts as. | 00:22:46 | |
| As originally had been supposed, there's just some some issues there. | 00:22:48 | |
| So. | 00:22:53 | |
| She has taken a job with a different county and we will no longer have that position for 2026. We may explore it again in the | 00:22:54 | |
| future, but there's some other logistical things to work on before we would do that. | 00:23:00 | |
| Internally. | 00:23:06 | |
| So with that position gone. | 00:23:08 | |
| And with the elimination of the part time person for 4H and with the elimination of the SNAP program. | 00:23:10 | |
| Then we had two individuals, 2 staff people picking up. | 00:23:18 | |
| Well, the workload for those staff. | 00:23:22 | |
| From everybody else who is regional. | 00:23:25 | |
| Was determined as determined by our. | 00:23:28 | |
| Area Extension Director and then she. | 00:23:31 | |
| Spoke with me and shared the details with me. | 00:23:34 | |
| It was not a good use of dollars to fund 2 positions. | 00:23:37 | |
| So we eliminated one of those two staff positions. So now we have. | 00:23:40 | |
| One staff person that is funded by Dodge County. | 00:23:44 | |
| That is. | 00:23:47 | |
| Taking care of administrative support for. | 00:23:48 | |
| All of our extension staff from the UW Extension. | 00:23:51 | |
| We have a 4H person that is. | 00:23:54 | |
| All here. | 00:23:57 | |
| But everybody else in that office covers multiple counties. | 00:23:59 | |
| And for the most part, their demands on existing staff are minimal. | 00:24:02 | |
| So that was that's. | 00:24:07 | |
| The drivers. | 00:24:09 | |
| Supervisor Cuckoo burger to. | 00:24:11 | |
| Why we ended up where we did with extension? | 00:24:13 | |
| Go ahead, Dave. | 00:24:21 | |
| Hello. | 00:24:23 | |
| Did the committee that overseas the unit extension agree with all of these changes? | 00:24:24 | |
| Or discuss them at any of their meetings. | 00:24:29 | |
| What? What was the question again? | 00:24:35 | |
| The committee that overseas the UW extension, did they review these same proposed changes and agree with all of them? | 00:24:36 | |
| Or were they not consulted? | 00:24:44 | |
| Andrew OK, Yes, yes, we were consulted and this happened over a period of years. This didn't happen. | 00:24:46 | |
| One day. | 00:24:53 | |
| The fair, we have been working on that. I think our meetings started about 2 1/2 years ago, something like that, right when you | 00:24:54 | |
| came on board. | 00:24:57 | |
| We transitioned out of the fair. That was about half the person's time I think that we had employed. So, so that was and finally | 00:25:01 | |
| we made the final switch. | 00:25:05 | |
| We used to provide like the software. | 00:25:09 | |
| We did a lot for the fair and then we still. | 00:25:11 | |
| We give. | 00:25:15 | |
| Money to the fair, the county, the county does give them money, but we no longer participate in like. | 00:25:15 | |
| The judging. | 00:25:21 | |
| Contests. | 00:25:23 | |
| We don't. | 00:25:25 | |
| Administer their software. | 00:25:26 | |
| And so that took up more than half that person's time in the desk. So we do have one person down there. And yes, we were. The | 00:25:29 | |
| committee is very aware of this over the last 2 1/2 years. | 00:25:34 | |
| As far as the. | 00:25:40 | |
| The SNAP ones we had, no, we had no say in that. That was federal coming down. There was 92 people that go statewide to happen to | 00:25:41 | |
| work for our county. That's just a direct federal. | 00:25:47 | |
| Thing that we had, we had no say in that. The committee was made aware of that, but we had no say in that. | 00:25:54 | |
| Far as a community development position. | 00:25:59 | |
| I think, and I haven't talked to Cameron lately about it, but I think our long term plan is to. | 00:26:02 | |
| Bring that back inhabit combined with our economic development, I think that's our long term plan. I don't know. I haven't talked | 00:26:07 | |
| to you about it lately. | 00:26:11 | |
| The thought is using the expertise. | 00:26:15 | |
| How to say this? | 00:26:20 | |
| It it it just didn't fit. | 00:26:22 | |
| The way what what happened, it didn't fit right and we had to make a change and in the future I hope to bring that back. | 00:26:24 | |
| That's the best way I can explain it to you, so that is something I would like to see come back. | 00:26:31 | |
| The. | 00:26:36 | |
| As of yesterday, I met with the Dean Martin of the Youth Extension yesterday. | 00:26:37 | |
| And he is. | 00:26:41 | |
| They are fully funding Co funding all the positions so if we bring this person back for example, we would pay half of their | 00:26:43 | |
| salary, not their full salary so it'd be a great deal. | 00:26:48 | |
| For in our economic development for our county and I think Mr. Froelin, I think for years you thought we should utilize that to | 00:26:53 | |
| get a deal and I and I agree that we should bring that back. | 00:26:58 | |
| But we are going ahead. | 00:27:03 | |
| With the we have an AG educator that we share with Dane County covers 2 counties that's will. | 00:27:06 | |
| And I did talk. | 00:27:10 | |
| To the Dean yesterday about. | 00:27:11 | |
| We need the full support of the institute, The Ag Institute, that's a different part of extension we usually don't deal with here, | 00:27:13 | |
| but we're going to deal with it in Dodge County. The Ag Institute are the experts at. | 00:27:18 | |
| The. | 00:27:24 | |
| That specialize in helping crop development and So what he. | 00:27:26 | |
| Gave me yesterday. I told him about our resolution to have a county farm. | 00:27:30 | |
| Test Farm. | 00:27:34 | |
| And I told him about the support of it and how I thought it was critical that the extension. | 00:27:35 | |
| Follows through. | 00:27:42 | |
| With providing the support in addition to will and they did agree they would do that. So we will be having the scientists from the | 00:27:43 | |
| institution. So we're getting. | 00:27:48 | |
| Different services not paying cash you might say. | 00:27:54 | |
| But we are one of the test farms in the state. There's going to be, I think, 10. And so we did get that. And so I feel pretty | 00:27:57 | |
| comfortable about that. It's just that that extension has changed. I appreciate your comments, though. | 00:28:03 | |
| I think extension is awesome. | 00:28:12 | |
| I'm very pro extension. | 00:28:15 | |
| And I think we've got a really good team. | 00:28:17 | |
| The extension so you kind of know where the state's going. They might even and I haven't even talked to Karen this just. | 00:28:20 | |
| Came yesterday. He doesn't know this. | 00:28:26 | |
| But they might even be sharing a cooperative secretarial help with technology. You know, they're the extension may be in multiple | 00:28:27 | |
| counties with the same they're they're changing too. And so I don't know what's going to come down the road, but they're they're. | 00:28:34 | |
| They're committed to. | 00:28:42 | |
| Maintain the services the best they can. We are going to get another AED. | 00:28:44 | |
| Probably in January, February, they are hiring one for us. They're they're Aeds are their structures is going to be slightly | 00:28:50 | |
| different. But overall a very supportive. And so anyway, I'm very bullish on what we're doing here. And so it appears on paper | 00:28:57 | |
| maybe that we've cut down, but we may in a year or two be asking you to bring one of them back. So don't be surprised. | 00:29:03 | |
| Yeah, it is true though, we really did. On paper it looked like we cut a lot, but we probably would be bringing 1 back. | 00:29:10 | |
| But we are getting a benefit and I reminded the extension Deans yesterday that we are looking for a great report. | 00:29:15 | |
| On their involvement in our new farm. | 00:29:22 | |
| There you go, that's the report. | 00:29:25 | |
| Supervisor Steger. | 00:29:28 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:29:30 | |
| What makes this budget difficult? | 00:29:33 | |
| Is because. | 00:29:35 | |
| Last year we had. | 00:29:37 | |
| And last two years we had ARPA money, 17 and a half million dollars. | 00:29:39 | |
| And we could fill in the gaps. | 00:29:43 | |
| With that ARPA money. | 00:29:45 | |
| This year we don't have that. | 00:29:48 | |
| And I agree with supervisor Houchin. | 00:29:51 | |
| Where? | 00:29:54 | |
| That community development. | 00:29:55 | |
| Program was set up when we had that extra money from the ARPA program and that and we had. | 00:29:57 | |
| $2,000,000 that we could put into that. | 00:30:03 | |
| Well, if we're not going to raise taxes. | 00:30:05 | |
| I agree. Then why are we giving money out? | 00:30:08 | |
| One where if we have to borrow money, if we're not going to raise taxes, then I think we should keep that money and put it towards | 00:30:11 | |
| roads. | 00:30:15 | |
| We should also use that interest money from the ARPA. | 00:30:19 | |
| And put it towards roads. | 00:30:22 | |
| There's excess sales tax that carries over. | 00:30:27 | |
| We could use that and put that towards the roads. | 00:30:30 | |
| And I went to that. | 00:30:33 | |
| Conference up in the WCA. Conference up at the Kalahari. | 00:30:35 | |
| And I talked to different counties up there and I went to a session and what they're doing up there in some counties is they want | 00:30:40 | |
| to add a registration fee increase on to the registration fee. | 00:30:46 | |
| And the reason they're doing that is to generate extra money to do your roads. | 00:30:53 | |
| And. | 00:30:58 | |
| It only affects the people that are using the roads. | 00:30:59 | |
| Not just the taxpayers, but the renters and. | 00:31:03 | |
| Everybody else that uses the roads. | 00:31:06 | |
| They pay. | 00:31:08 | |
| A increase on their registration fee. | 00:31:10 | |
| Some colonies got as much as $50 or registration fee. | 00:31:13 | |
| If we just did a $35 increase, it's a one time fee when you. | 00:31:18 | |
| Pull on your register your vehicle. | 00:31:23 | |
| You pay an extra $35 registration fee if we did that. | 00:31:25 | |
| Wanted his supervisors did a little research on it and that would generate an extra 3 and a half million dollars. | 00:31:30 | |
| That we could. | 00:31:37 | |
| Put towards the roads. | 00:31:38 | |
| So that that's the only. | 00:31:40 | |
| Answer that I got if we're not going to borrow money. | 00:31:42 | |
| Do our roads then? | 00:31:45 | |
| What I just said. | 00:31:46 | |
| Our possibilities that we should look into. | 00:31:48 | |
| And the other thing too is raises. | 00:31:51 | |
| I don't like. | 00:31:54 | |
| To pick on our employees because we got good employees working for the county. | 00:31:56 | |
| But the last couple of years we've been given out some pretty good raises. | 00:32:00 | |
| And now this year in the budget, it looks like we're looking at 4 1/2 to 5% raise. | 00:32:04 | |
| And a lot of neighboring colonies are going 2 1/2 percent. | 00:32:10 | |
| So we maybe got to look at that too. One year we maybe have to cut back on. | 00:32:13 | |
| What we give out for races. | 00:32:18 | |
| I don't know what the answer is, but I'm just presenting some of the things that. | 00:32:21 | |
| That where we could generate more money. | 00:32:25 | |
| Towards the. | 00:32:28 | |
| Thank you. | 00:32:30 | |
| Supervisor Beal. | 00:32:31 | |
| Thank you. | 00:32:33 | |
| We've had a lot of talk. | 00:32:36 | |
| The last couple days about Rd. | 00:32:38 | |
| Roads, roads and roads. | 00:32:40 | |
| And we've had a little bit of talk. | 00:32:42 | |
| About. | 00:32:45 | |
| Our radio system upgrade. | 00:32:46 | |
| Which we've already committed money to. | 00:32:48 | |
| Out of the 2026 budget. | 00:32:51 | |
| The one thing I haven't heard? | 00:32:54 | |
| Is anything about our building need? | 00:32:57 | |
| We did. | 00:33:00 | |
| A couple different studies. | 00:33:01 | |
| We know there's issues at the Henry Dodge building. | 00:33:03 | |
| We know that the old jail and old. | 00:33:07 | |
| Sheriff's Office part. | 00:33:10 | |
| Need to be torn down eventually. | 00:33:12 | |
| But it's like that just kind of flew off the the radar. Nobody's talking about that anymore. | 00:33:17 | |
| Until we get in so deep. | 00:33:24 | |
| With our borrowing. | 00:33:27 | |
| That we can't afford to do anything with our building. | 00:33:29 | |
| So that's just a concern I have that we need to keep. | 00:33:33 | |
| All this stuff on our radar and see the big picture, not just get focused in on one area and say. | 00:33:38 | |
| We need to dump all our money into this. | 00:33:44 | |
| And then two years later. | 00:33:48 | |
| We're told we need to do something right now with this building. | 00:33:50 | |
| And now we got to borrow money that. | 00:33:55 | |
| We can't afford to borrow. | 00:33:56 | |
| So I just ask that we all. | 00:33:59 | |
| Be aware and and. | 00:34:01 | |
| Keep all the things. | 00:34:03 | |
| Insight and not just get. | 00:34:05 | |
| Tunnel vision and focus on one thing. | 00:34:07 | |
| Thank you. | 00:34:10 | |
| Supervisor Guckenburger. | 00:34:12 | |
| Thank. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:34:14 | |
| Switching gears a little bit, they. | 00:34:17 | |
| I have a question. What is the? | 00:34:18 | |
| Current unassigned general fund. | 00:34:21 | |
| Balance unassigned. | 00:34:24 | |
| And the second part of that question is going to be? | 00:34:27 | |
| How much does that exceed? | 00:34:31 | |
| Fund balance policy of. | 00:34:33 | |
| 16.7%. | 00:34:35 | |
| Good questions. | 00:34:41 | |
| So. | 00:34:43 | |
| Unassigned. That's the number we were looking at was that. | 00:34:43 | |
| OK. So for unassigned fund balance? | 00:34:46 | |
| I asked Mackenzie about that already. | 00:34:49 | |
| And we're looking at a total. | 00:34:51 | |
| Of 12 million. | 00:34:53 | |
| Well, that's the. | 00:34:55 | |
| That's the. That's the. | 00:34:56 | |
| That's the. | 00:34:58 | |
| Right, the amount over minimums. | 00:34:59 | |
| Make sure that that's clear. Thank you. | 00:35:01 | |
| $12,222,339 that is what our over the minimum amount is. | 00:35:04 | |
| Now of that. | 00:35:10 | |
| We have some. | 00:35:11 | |
| Obligations and. | 00:35:13 | |
| That we expect. | 00:35:14 | |
| Will be needed by the end of the year. | 00:35:16 | |
| Just as we shake out the rest of the year. So if that's the case. | 00:35:18 | |
| I'm comfortable with. | 00:35:22 | |
| More of a number to. | 00:35:24 | |
| To play with, I guess I would say of 10.5 million. | 00:35:26 | |
| But but the fund is. | 00:35:31 | |
| Is a catch. It's. | 00:35:34 | |
| It's there as a buffer for cash flow. So the more that we pull down. | 00:35:36 | |
| The the closer we are to. | 00:35:41 | |
| Just riding by the seat of our pants, that's the policy is as established. | 00:35:43 | |
| We have a minimum there that's meant to help with that. | 00:35:48 | |
| But I'm just saying. | 00:35:52 | |
| That. | 00:35:53 | |
| Go ahead, Dave. Thank you. | 00:35:55 | |
| It makes absolutely zero sense to me. | 00:35:58 | |
| To borrow. | 00:36:01 | |
| $22 million to put in the roads when we have $12 million sitting in the bank. | 00:36:02 | |
| That is above and beyond what is necessary. | 00:36:07 | |
| Buy your own fund balance policy. | 00:36:11 | |
| So you can't justify that. | 00:36:14 | |
| To me. | 00:36:16 | |
| I mean once. | 00:36:17 | |
| If and I know you said that. | 00:36:17 | |
| The the balance was 12 million two. | 00:36:21 | |
| But effectively it's 10/5, so I'm not sure what that 1.7 is. | 00:36:24 | |
| You know, I'd have to dig into the budget I guess and see where it's been applied. | 00:36:29 | |
| And this is. | 00:36:33 | |
| This is not sales tax, correct? | 00:36:34 | |
| Or sales tax fund balance. | 00:36:36 | |
| Sales tax is not included. | 00:36:42 | |
| Correct, correct. | 00:36:45 | |
| 2. | 00:36:51 | |
| It is all right. | 00:36:53 | |
| So effectively we have $12.2 million and I understand you want cash flow, the whole organization. | 00:36:55 | |
| But we, we have the ability to do tax anticipation notes if needed, right? | 00:37:02 | |
| And there will be, and that's certainly much easier than going to bonding. | 00:37:08 | |
| Correct. | 00:37:13 | |
| So I I. | 00:37:15 | |
| Until up and until. | 00:37:18 | |
| We spend on our fund balance policy. I'm going to have a hard time borrowing. | 00:37:21 | |
| $137 million over the next five years. | 00:37:26 | |
| I just tell you that. | 00:37:30 | |
| And it will start. | 00:37:31 | |
| In 26 because that's at least the presentation I had seen. | 00:37:33 | |
| Tuesday. | 00:37:39 | |
| That there was some sort of desire to borrow. | 00:37:40 | |
| 22 plus. | 00:37:43 | |
| Another. | 00:37:44 | |
| Chunk for buildings and radios and stuff like that. | 00:37:45 | |
| So. | 00:37:49 | |
| I understand. | 00:37:53 | |
| But it's. | 00:37:54 | |
| It's it's like boiling a frog. | 00:37:56 | |
| Right. You know. | 00:37:57 | |
| So. | 00:37:59 | |
| Supervisor pre vote. | 00:38:05 | |
| Well, I just wanted to. | 00:38:07 | |
| Talk about roads again and. | 00:38:09 | |
| The $2,000,000 that. | 00:38:11 | |
| Given away for grants. | 00:38:14 | |
| You know, like a supervisor, Steger said. That was. | 00:38:17 | |
| That was then, this is now. | 00:38:21 | |
| And. | 00:38:23 | |
| There's no way we would be discussing. | 00:38:24 | |
| Borrowing $2,000,000 a year to give it away. | 00:38:27 | |
| And. | 00:38:31 | |
| Nobody like the vast majority of people out in Dodge County wouldn't be like. | 00:38:32 | |
| You know, the citizens of Dodge County wouldn't be like, yeah, that's a great idea, Borrow. | 00:38:36 | |
| $2,000,000 so you can give it away. | 00:38:40 | |
| And. | 00:38:42 | |
| No one, or I would say very few. | 00:38:44 | |
| Supervisors in this room. | 00:38:46 | |
| Would support that idea either. | 00:38:48 | |
| So I don't know why we would support. | 00:38:51 | |
| Giving it away. | 00:38:54 | |
| Giving the $2,000,000 away and then saying. | 00:38:55 | |
| We need $2,000,000. | 00:38:58 | |
| For the roads, it's the same thing. | 00:39:00 | |
| If we give the money away first. | 00:39:02 | |
| And then we don't have it to say we need it for roads. | 00:39:04 | |
| And I know we're talking about more than $2,000,000. | 00:39:07 | |
| But it's still $2,000,000. | 00:39:10 | |
| Like if we're giving it away. | 00:39:12 | |
| And we really need it for roads. | 00:39:14 | |
| We shouldn't give it away. And if it's a bad idea to say? | 00:39:17 | |
| Let's borrow money. | 00:39:20 | |
| To give away for grants. | 00:39:22 | |
| Then it's a bad idea to give the money away for grants and then say we need to borrow money for roads. It's the same thing. | 00:39:24 | |
| So if we know. | 00:39:31 | |
| It's a bad idea. We shouldn't. | 00:39:33 | |
| Do it. | 00:39:34 | |
| And I think. | 00:39:35 | |
| The vast majority of at least the people that I have talked to in District 7 and I and I would think it's probably the same way | 00:39:36 | |
| across. | 00:39:39 | |
| All of Dodge County. | 00:39:43 | |
| Wouldn't support that. | 00:39:45 | |
| At all. | 00:39:46 | |
| And if if we think they would or if we think that. | 00:39:47 | |
| Somehow because we're. | 00:39:51 | |
| Listening to the experts or because we've got more secret information? | 00:39:53 | |
| You know this. | 00:39:57 | |
| Kind of. | 00:39:59 | |
| Political Gnosticism or something? | 00:40:00 | |
| Then we're sadly mistaken, or I really think we're really miss miss. | 00:40:03 | |
| Reading the temperature. | 00:40:09 | |
| Of the taxpayers of Dash County. | 00:40:10 | |
| Supervisor Derrick. | 00:40:15 | |
| I could be wrong, but my understanding is that we're not. | 00:40:19 | |
| Dramatically increasing the tax burden. | 00:40:22 | |
| With the proposed budget. | 00:40:24 | |
| And I see. | 00:40:26 | |
| Our administrators saying that's correct. | 00:40:27 | |
| So we're not talking about increasing the tax burden. | 00:40:29 | |
| Even though we're doing municipal finance work. | 00:40:32 | |
| I have mixed feelings I have been advocating. | 00:40:36 | |
| Almost since the day I got on the board as chairman, Frohling knows that I thought we had a ridiculously high. | 00:40:39 | |
| On allocated fund reserve far over a minimums. | 00:40:45 | |
| But. | 00:40:48 | |
| So I wouldn't be. | 00:40:50 | |
| Adverse to spending a little bit of it. | 00:40:51 | |
| However, understand that our stability rating our our bond rating, it's partly dependent on not. | 00:40:53 | |
| Taking huge chunks of your unallocated fund reserves. | 00:41:02 | |
| For recurring expenses like roads, it's like this cheap, easy, quick thing. | 00:41:06 | |
| But that's not what the money's for. | 00:41:11 | |
| That money is for. | 00:41:14 | |
| What happened to all of us? | 00:41:16 | |
| If you were. | 00:41:19 | |
| Around in 2008 and 2009, that Great Recession. | 00:41:20 | |
| And it's also a fur like. | 00:41:24 | |
| You know, minor. | 00:41:27 | |
| Recessions. But when we hit a recession, which happens. | 00:41:28 | |
| You know the. | 00:41:31 | |
| You can't say it's never going to happen as you can almost guarantee it's going to happen. | 00:41:32 | |
| Is just questions when then we have those reserves available? | 00:41:37 | |
| To not hit our taxpayers. | 00:41:41 | |
| Who might already be in trouble? | 00:41:45 | |
| Right. In terms of their own income and their own ability to buy groceries and stuff. And we don't have to hit them with some | 00:41:48 | |
| gigantic. | 00:41:52 | |
| Increase in taxes because we've previously spent down our unallocated fund balance. | 00:41:56 | |
| Which again, even if we did a whole chunk of it, it's not. | 00:42:02 | |
| It's it's kind of frowned upon. I'm not saying it's the only. | 00:42:05 | |
| It's not the only thing that affects the rating, but it is one of them and it's basically. | 00:42:09 | |
| Poor financial planning, right? Let's just take this money because we got it is not financial planning. | 00:42:13 | |
| And so you're like, OK, great, you spend 10 million now you've. | 00:42:19 | |
| Taken all that excess fund reserve and we're right back here. | 00:42:22 | |
| Next year. | 00:42:27 | |
| And now what do we do? | 00:42:28 | |
| Like you're just kicking the can. | 00:42:29 | |
| To the next budget. | 00:42:31 | |
| And and a referendum also kicks the can down because if you have a referendum it takes a year to get that ready and, and we will. | 00:42:32 | |
| Will lose all the benefit of being able to fund the roads sooner. | 00:42:40 | |
| So. | 00:42:45 | |
| I don't. | 00:42:48 | |
| I also have said this before, but the $2,000,000. | 00:42:50 | |
| We have not. | 00:42:54 | |
| As a county in the entire. | 00:42:56 | |
| 10 or how many years I've been on, we have not had sufficient investment in economic development. | 00:42:58 | |
| We have not. And we've outsourced it and we've insourced it and we've done all kinds of things and we. | 00:43:05 | |
| We, you know, we're. | 00:43:11 | |
| Holding people's feet to the fire. They weren't bringing it in. They didn't give us a great plan and this, this economic | 00:43:13 | |
| development plan. | 00:43:17 | |
| It's not a gift. | 00:43:22 | |
| It's a part of an economic development plan is the best thing that I have seen since we started. | 00:43:24 | |
| Because it's actually seed money. | 00:43:30 | |
| So we're not just giving it to them. We're saying you have to meet requirement ABCDEFG and if your project meets that and you need | 00:43:32 | |
| just 5% more to top it off and get that development there, we're there for you. | 00:43:38 | |
| So it's not a gift, it's you meet the requirements. | 00:43:44 | |
| And that development project can happen. | 00:43:47 | |
| And when that happens? | 00:43:50 | |
| More people come to our community. Our tax base is increased, our businesses increased. | 00:43:53 | |
| It is. We'll get far more than that 2 million overtime. | 00:43:59 | |
| And so that is just financially. | 00:44:03 | |
| Not a good thing to do to take the money off of the economic development. | 00:44:06 | |
| Supervisor Gukenberger. | 00:44:13 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:44:15 | |
| It's just a. | 00:44:17 | |
| Biggest bunch of crap I just listened to. | 00:44:19 | |
| And I'm going to correct a bunch of that. | 00:44:22 | |
| OK, we created a fund balance policy. | 00:44:25 | |
| As a board. | 00:44:28 | |
| That said, we will keep. | 00:44:29 | |
| Two months of expenses. | 00:44:31 | |
| Available. | 00:44:33 | |
| What I asked is how much we exceed. | 00:44:35 | |
| That two months. | 00:44:38 | |
| And that's the amount I want to spend. | 00:44:40 | |
| It makes no sense. | 00:44:42 | |
| To keep an extra $12 million in the bank account. | 00:44:44 | |
| So we can make. | 00:44:48 | |
| Potential payments or. | 00:44:50 | |
| Emergencies, we already have two months of expenditures set aside. | 00:44:52 | |
| For all these emergencies that may come up or these. | 00:44:57 | |
| Economic problem? | 00:45:02 | |
| That's good sound policy. | 00:45:04 | |
| Matter of fact, the bond companies are going to look at that and make sure that a, we have a bond, a fund balance policy and. | 00:45:05 | |
| Where do we sit in relationship to that? | 00:45:12 | |
| OK, so. | 00:45:14 | |
| Wrong. | 00:45:18 | |
| I'm going to make another statement though. | 00:45:19 | |
| Because. | 00:45:21 | |
| If if you disagree with this one. | 00:45:22 | |
| I would like to talk to you. | 00:45:25 | |
| But I believe good roads are essential. | 00:45:26 | |
| To economic development. | 00:45:29 | |
| Good roads are essential to economic development. | 00:45:30 | |
| If we have good roads. | 00:45:35 | |
| We can spur economic development just as much. | 00:45:38 | |
| As giving. | 00:45:42 | |
| $150,000 or a quarter $1,000,000 to developers so he can build. | 00:45:43 | |
| 15 homes. | 00:45:48 | |
| We need good roads. | 00:45:50 | |
| Bottom line. | 00:45:52 | |
| I agree completely with everybody else that has said. | 00:45:54 | |
| Why would we give $2,000,000 away? | 00:45:58 | |
| When we have. | 00:46:01 | |
| Urgent needs. | 00:46:02 | |
| Right here. | 00:46:03 | |
| Our roads are important to economic development. | 00:46:06 | |
| Just as much as everything else. | 00:46:09 | |
| And I have a hard time. | 00:46:11 | |
| As Roger says. | 00:46:13 | |
| You, you know. | 00:46:15 | |
| We have to borrow money. | 00:46:16 | |
| To do our roads. | 00:46:18 | |
| In the meantime, we stuck 2 million in this budget. | 00:46:20 | |
| To just. | 00:46:23 | |
| Give it away. | 00:46:25 | |
| I'm sorry we aren't giving it away. Sure, we have terms and conditions. | 00:46:26 | |
| But we are giving it away. | 00:46:31 | |
| In the meantime. | 00:46:34 | |
| Our roads are getting worse by the day. | 00:46:35 | |
| And we should. | 00:46:39 | |
| Put the emphasis and the priority on the roads, because good roads. | 00:46:40 | |
| Are good economic. | 00:46:44 | |
| Development. They're essential for it. | 00:46:47 | |
| Thank you. | 00:46:50 | |
| Supervisor Keel. | 00:46:52 | |
| Thank you. | 00:46:56 | |
| I just would like to add also on page 12 when we talk about. | 00:46:57 | |
| Fund balance and applying. | 00:47:01 | |
| That the last two columns. | 00:47:04 | |
| Before the totals. | 00:47:07 | |
| Do show a fund balance. | 00:47:09 | |
| Being applied. I just want to make that. | 00:47:11 | |
| Statement. | 00:47:15 | |
| For everyone's awareness. | 00:47:16 | |
| I'm not. | 00:47:19 | |
| Sure, all the details, but you can see that they're both is carry forward. | 00:47:20 | |
| And fund balance applied and I think it might be. | 00:47:25 | |
| Larger than it has been in the past. | 00:47:29 | |
| But administration hasn't provided like. | 00:47:32 | |
| What they're projecting? | 00:47:37 | |
| From. | 00:47:39 | |
| Current year activities 2025. | 00:47:40 | |
| That may generate. | 00:47:43 | |
| More fund balance. | 00:47:46 | |
| General fund balance. | 00:47:48 | |
| At this point. | 00:47:49 | |
| But at least you can see there's. | 00:47:51 | |
| 3.8 million being applied and carry. | 00:47:53 | |
| Forward. | 00:47:57 | |
| Fund balance of 3.4. | 00:47:58 | |
| Supervisor. | 00:48:03 | |
| Thank you. I want to thank everybody for. | 00:48:05 | |
| For a discussion. | 00:48:08 | |
| Because sometimes we lack discussion. I appreciate that everybody's. | 00:48:09 | |
| Chiming in and getting giving some ideas because that's good for us. | 00:48:13 | |
| I do. | 00:48:19 | |
| Think about. | 00:48:22 | |
| Economic development. | 00:48:23 | |
| And if we borrow money, that's like I was thinking. | 00:48:25 | |
| If I want to, I'd like to be in the stock market, have good money in the stock market, so I'll go borrow $2,000,000 to put in the | 00:48:28 | |
| stock market. | 00:48:31 | |
| It doesn't work that way. | 00:48:35 | |
| You know you have to have it. | 00:48:37 | |
| And if we don't have it that I'm not going to play, play the stock market. | 00:48:38 | |
| We don't have. | 00:48:42 | |
| The $2,000,000 that we need so. | 00:48:45 | |
| Let's do it. I agree with Dave that maybe we should take some of this money out of. | 00:48:47 | |
| This $10.5 million. | 00:48:51 | |
| Wouldn't it be great if we could? | 00:48:54 | |
| Do more than the 22. | 00:48:56 | |
| But even if we didn't take all 10.5. | 00:49:00 | |
| We still have that 2 million from Community development. | 00:49:04 | |
| And then I think we. | 00:49:07 | |
| And I agree, we have great employees. | 00:49:09 | |
| But maybe we should look at. | 00:49:11 | |
| They're getting a 5.1. | 00:49:14 | |
| 4% raise this year. | 00:49:16 | |
| If you count the January 1. | 00:49:18 | |
| And the July. | 00:49:21 | |
| Race. Nobody in the county is getting that, I don't think. | 00:49:22 | |
| Maybe, maybe we could. | 00:49:26 | |
| Cut back a little on the. | 00:49:28 | |
| 2.5. | 00:49:29 | |
| The July 1 Maybe we could. | 00:49:31 | |
| I mean, we're already. | 00:49:34 | |
| Doing a lot of other things for them. We're paying 5% more for their their portion of the health insurance. So it matched. | 00:49:35 | |
| What the sworn unions were doing. | 00:49:42 | |
| We pay their deductible for their health insurance. | 00:49:44 | |
| We're doing all that so. | 00:49:48 | |
| You know, I think. | 00:49:50 | |
| Everybody's going to feel the pinch. Just Skyke. | 00:49:51 | |
| The citizens are feeling the pinch. We've you've got to do something. So I think there's money in this budget if we really look at | 00:49:54 | |
| it and can we make. | 00:49:58 | |
| Any decisions today? | 00:50:02 | |
| For the. | 00:50:05 | |
| Administrator to look at something to bring something. | 00:50:06 | |
| Or is is this just talk tonight? | 00:50:09 | |
| Yeah, I believe it's just discussion tonight, but the administrator should be taking notes and. | 00:50:11 | |
| And looking at that and the. | 00:50:18 | |
| We as board members should be looking at. | 00:50:21 | |
| Possibility of bored of. | 00:50:24 | |
| Budget amendments. | 00:50:26 | |
| To bring forward. | 00:50:27 | |
| So. | 00:50:29 | |
| Is Supervisor Burbus. | 00:50:31 | |
| As you all know I'm very new here the. | 00:50:35 | |
| The point that. | 00:50:38 | |
| I would just wanted to bring up is that I work for, you know, a larger company in Madison. | 00:50:39 | |
| And historically over the last. | 00:50:45 | |
| Four to five years, it's an insurance company and over the last four to five years it's been in. | 00:50:48 | |
| A situation where. | 00:50:54 | |
| You know, profits aren't as great. We're losing money we don't have, you know, with money to move forward with. And we've gone | 00:50:55 | |
| through multiple rounds of eliminations of people. | 00:50:59 | |
| They're looking at multiple options and. | 00:51:04 | |
| Annually, we typically are lucky to get a 2% raise. | 00:51:06 | |
| Or maybe a three? | 00:51:11 | |
| So I think that the the. | 00:51:13 | |
| The the raise. | 00:51:15 | |
| Option. | 00:51:17 | |
| That Dodge County offers is very generous, and perhaps there might be an opportunity to. | 00:51:18 | |
| To take some of that, at least in the short term. | 00:51:23 | |
| Given the situation that we're facing this year. | 00:51:27 | |
| Thank you. | 00:51:30 | |
| Supervisor. | 00:51:32 | |
| Thank. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:51:33 | |
| I have a couple questions I guess, or at least one question. | 00:51:36 | |
| Over what span of time have we accumulated? | 00:51:40 | |
| This 10.5 million. | 00:51:43 | |
| In excess of. | 00:51:45 | |
| General fund balance. | 00:51:47 | |
| So. | 00:51:57 | |
| That. | 00:51:58 | |
| You know, every year we can go back and look at audits, but. | 00:51:59 | |
| That is a steadily. | 00:52:02 | |
| Steadily growing or. | 00:52:04 | |
| Steadily. | 00:52:06 | |
| Constant. | 00:52:07 | |
| Amount of money. | 00:52:09 | |
| In fact, in the last few years. | 00:52:11 | |
| We have done more applying a fund balance I think than. | 00:52:13 | |
| I don't know what it was like before I arrived, but when I look at fund balance amounts. | 00:52:17 | |
| And there's some of that will be. | 00:52:22 | |
| Wasn't available for tonight, but we'll have at the finance. | 00:52:24 | |
| Probably 2 executive committees on Monday. | 00:52:29 | |
| You'll be able to. You'll be able to see that. | 00:52:32 | |
| We in multiple years we have. | 00:52:34 | |
| Taken a significant chunk of that fund balance and applied it. | 00:52:37 | |
| So. | 00:52:41 | |
| I can't give you a specific. | 00:52:43 | |
| Reason for or. | 00:52:45 | |
| Date certain when we started to increase the fund balance, I don't have that. | 00:52:47 | |
| But just know that it's it's been a constant, so it's part of. | 00:52:51 | |
| Our operations. | 00:52:55 | |
| Either conservatively estimating anticipated revenues and expenses. | 00:52:56 | |
| Well, that's primarily it, so. | 00:53:02 | |
| I will say that I've been here quite a while. | 00:53:05 | |
| And. | 00:53:08 | |
| Historically. | 00:53:10 | |
| We would. | 00:53:11 | |
| Use fund balance in our budget. | 00:53:13 | |
| But. | 00:53:17 | |
| Normally at year end. | 00:53:18 | |
| We replace that much back to the fund balance. | 00:53:20 | |
| At year end. So it's been a wash and. | 00:53:24 | |
| And it's been a steady. | 00:53:26 | |
| Gradual. | 00:53:28 | |
| Increase. | 00:53:29 | |
| Some of the discussion. | 00:53:31 | |
| About. | 00:53:33 | |
| Using. | 00:53:34 | |
| Fund balance. | 00:53:35 | |
| Just remind the board that a few years ago we funded Hwy. shops. | 00:53:38 | |
| Out of our. | 00:53:43 | |
| Investments from our fund balance. | 00:53:45 | |
| And. | 00:53:47 | |
| The. | 00:53:48 | |
| Bond rating companies. | 00:53:49 | |
| Approved that and said it was a good plan. | 00:53:52 | |
| But you had to have. | 00:53:56 | |
| Treat it like a loan and have a plan for. | 00:53:58 | |
| Putting the money back into fund balance. | 00:54:01 | |
| So that. | 00:54:04 | |
| It can be done. | 00:54:05 | |
| But there are some. | 00:54:08 | |
| And if you don't want to ruin your. | 00:54:09 | |
| Your mind rating you need to do some. | 00:54:12 | |
| It's not. Just take it and use it. | 00:54:14 | |
| So. | 00:54:16 | |
| Anyone else? | 00:54:19 | |
| Supervisor Breslow. | 00:54:24 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:54:25 | |
| I guess that kind of answers my question and. | 00:54:28 | |
| Just was. | 00:54:31 | |
| Curious. So our fund balance? | 00:54:32 | |
| The excess of 10.5. | 00:54:35 | |
| Has been. | 00:54:36 | |
| Accumulating gradually it's. | 00:54:38 | |
| Overtime, yes. OK, so and then my other thing is also I. | 00:54:41 | |
| I agree with some of the folks that are commenting on the wages. | 00:54:45 | |
| I I definitely do appreciate. | 00:54:50 | |
| Our staff and our employees of the county, but. | 00:54:52 | |
| We are not a profit generating business. | 00:54:56 | |
| Whereas we can say. | 00:55:00 | |
| OK. We're going to give our employees. | 00:55:02 | |
| Six, 7%. | 00:55:05 | |
| Well, we'll just. | 00:55:07 | |
| Increase what we charge. | 00:55:08 | |
| We can't do that. | 00:55:10 | |
| We're not a profit generating business. | 00:55:12 | |
| We have to operate or try to within our means. | 00:55:15 | |
| And. | 00:55:18 | |
| I think we've been more than generous. | 00:55:20 | |
| And that may not be popular. | 00:55:24 | |
| With some people, but. | 00:55:26 | |
| We can't just. | 00:55:29 | |
| Keep giving away the farm. | 00:55:30 | |
| When we don't have a way. | 00:55:31 | |
| To recoup that money. | 00:55:33 | |
| Other than. | 00:55:35 | |
| Going through the taxpayer and saying, hey, we're going to borrow 22 million. | 00:55:36 | |
| And you're going to pay for it. | 00:55:40 | |
| Thank you. | 00:55:42 | |
| You, you you want to speak. | 00:55:46 | |
| Yes, Mr. Chairman. | 00:55:48 | |
| All right. Just I wanted to clarify a few different things and make sure people are aware. | 00:55:50 | |
| I too appreciate. | 00:55:55 | |
| That you're having this discussion because it's very important that you do. | 00:55:57 | |
| The. | 00:56:00 | |
| The first is. | 00:56:01 | |
| That in this year's budget. | 00:56:03 | |
| Currently. | 00:56:05 | |
| We have no debt. | 00:56:06 | |
| No recommendation for borrowing money. There's no dollars set aside. | 00:56:09 | |
| From. | 00:56:13 | |
| Or there's no plan that would ultimately result in raising a tax in any way. | 00:56:14 | |
| Beyond. | 00:56:20 | |
| For debt service? | 00:56:21 | |
| So we're just dealing with the same tax increases that we've done every year. | 00:56:22 | |
| That are truly at this point. | 00:56:27 | |
| Dictated by. | 00:56:29 | |
| The the state. | 00:56:30 | |
| In terms of their the limit on what we can increase our budget, which does. | 00:56:31 | |
| Get outpaced by inflation. | 00:56:36 | |
| So when you're talking tonight, I think this is. | 00:56:40 | |
| Most of you are aware, but just to be make sure it's clear we're talking about. | 00:56:43 | |
| What to do? | 00:56:47 | |
| For the unfunded items in the capital improvement plan, which was approved. | 00:56:48 | |
| So currently our fund balance. | 00:56:52 | |
| General fund balance, we have applied the $1.5 million necessary. | 00:56:55 | |
| To pay the employees. | 00:57:00 | |
| Of the of the highway department. | 00:57:02 | |
| And do. | 00:57:05 | |
| Very small things all year. There would be no none of the capital. | 00:57:06 | |
| None of the capital. | 00:57:10 | |
| Projects, but for those that. | 00:57:12 | |
| Were actually approved in the capital plan and presented as funded. | 00:57:14 | |
| Would be funded. | 00:57:18 | |
| But we. | 00:57:19 | |
| We have, we have worked for our people to do. | 00:57:20 | |
| But. | 00:57:23 | |
| It's coming at a cost from our fund balance if we don't. | 00:57:24 | |
| Come up with another way to fund things. | 00:57:27 | |
| When we talk about. | 00:57:30 | |
| Financing. | 00:57:31 | |
| A projects. | 00:57:34 | |
| There's yes, this would have an immediate impact because it. | 00:57:36 | |
| It creates an obligation. | 00:57:39 | |
| But it doesn't. | 00:57:41 | |
| Have to, nor does it. | 00:57:43 | |
| By necessity. | 00:57:45 | |
| Require anything in 2026 it would really only be impacting. | 00:57:47 | |
| A levy tax levy in 2027. | 00:57:52 | |
| So that's important to note. | 00:57:56 | |
| Also though I will tell you. | 00:57:58 | |
| Bond issues. | 00:58:01 | |
| For long term long living capital projects. | 00:58:03 | |
| Such as streets. | 00:58:07 | |
| Or buildings. | 00:58:09 | |
| Or we've discussed radio towers. | 00:58:10 | |
| Is a very common practice. It's a best practice. | 00:58:13 | |
| For how to effectively manage your assets. | 00:58:16 | |
| It's much like. | 00:58:21 | |
| When we buy things on our own. | 00:58:23 | |
| In our own home, for our own. | 00:58:25 | |
| Family or? | 00:58:27 | |
| In a business. | 00:58:28 | |
| That we work for a for profit company. | 00:58:30 | |
| Much like that. | 00:58:32 | |
| We invest. | 00:58:34 | |
| In assets that we need to move forward. | 00:58:35 | |
| Unlike those. | 00:58:38 | |
| Businesses. | 00:58:39 | |
| Where ultimately the debt? | 00:58:40 | |
| Is tied to an individual or a company. | 00:58:43 | |
| The debt in a public entity. | 00:58:47 | |
| Is tied to the asset. | 00:58:49 | |
| And the people residing in the jurisdiction. | 00:58:51 | |
| At the time the debt is called. | 00:58:53 | |
| So every year. | 00:58:55 | |
| People move in and out of Dodge County. | 00:58:57 | |
| Every year. | 00:58:59 | |
| People would be coming in and using these assets and other people would be leaving. | 00:59:00 | |
| That, uh. | 00:59:04 | |
| Aren't using those assets. | 00:59:05 | |
| When you implement a program that is pay as you go. | 00:59:07 | |
| You only buy when you have cash on hand. | 00:59:11 | |
| Which means. | 00:59:15 | |
| We are all of us saving up and buying the asset. | 00:59:15 | |
| Not necessarily the ones that use it. | 00:59:19 | |
| Because other people in the future will use it. | 00:59:22 | |
| And we might. | 00:59:24 | |
| Move away. | 00:59:25 | |
| Pay as you use. | 00:59:27 | |
| Financing. | 00:59:29 | |
| Is. | 00:59:30 | |
| Strictly for. | 00:59:31 | |
| These types of assets. | 00:59:32 | |
| Roads. Buildings. | 00:59:34 | |
| The towers we talked about. | 00:59:35 | |
| That the way that that is managed so that the people using it. | 00:59:37 | |
| Also pay for it. | 00:59:42 | |
| Is. | 00:59:43 | |
| To have it. | 00:59:44 | |
| Financed upfront. | 00:59:45 | |
| And paid for while it is being used for the life of that asset or. | 00:59:47 | |
| Paid up sooner. We don't have to take 20 years to pay it off. | 00:59:52 | |
| So just. | 00:59:56 | |
| Just so that. | 00:59:58 | |
| You're aware this? | 00:59:59 | |
| This is what? | 01:00:00 | |
| Public entities. | 01:00:02 | |
| Do it is it is incredibly. | 01:00:03 | |
| Common and widespread throughout any and all municipalities. | 01:00:06 | |
| Other than towns. | 01:00:10 | |
| And I think even in towns. | 01:00:12 | |
| It's also very common among counties. | 01:00:14 | |
| So. | 01:00:17 | |
| Just be be aware of that please. The other the last thing I guess, let me look at my notes. | 01:00:19 | |
| Make sure. | 01:00:25 | |
| I have it all. | 01:00:27 | |
| This was mentioned but just to restate clarify. | 01:00:30 | |
| Maybe a little bit the more fund balance we have. | 01:00:32 | |
| The better we look to a bond rating entity. | 01:00:35 | |
| The better we look to a bond rating entity. | 01:00:38 | |
| The cheaper the cost of money. | 01:00:40 | |
| So. | 01:00:42 | |
| When we do take away, we. | 01:00:44 | |
| And and reduce that amount, which is totally fine. | 01:00:45 | |
| It's it's I've I've given you the budget. | 01:00:48 | |
| It's your budget now. | 01:00:51 | |
| So if that's something that the county board wants to do. | 01:00:53 | |
| That's quite alright, and. | 01:00:56 | |
| And with what Supervisor Guggenberger had had mentioned, maybe there is. | 01:00:57 | |
| Some wiggle room before that would have a negative impact on our bond rating. | 01:01:03 | |
| But uh. | 01:01:06 | |
| It's something to be noting and be careful of. | 01:01:08 | |
| The. | 01:01:11 | |
| Regarding the wages. | 01:01:12 | |
| The 2.64%. | 01:01:14 | |
| Is an adjustment. | 01:01:16 | |
| 2 wages. | 01:01:17 | |
| That is an adjustment to the entire wage schedule. | 01:01:18 | |
| So it's not specific to anyone individual. | 01:01:22 | |
| And it is tied to the consumer price index, so it's meant to be tied to inflation. | 01:01:25 | |
| To keep wages. | 01:01:30 | |
| At or relatively close within within. | 01:01:32 | |
| 100 to 80 to 100% of the market rate. | 01:01:35 | |
| For a wage. | 01:01:39 | |
| And that. | 01:01:40 | |
| Market rate we measure on step #5 which? | 01:01:40 | |
| Most in most cases someone is here depending on their experience. Sometimes they start higher than step one because of what | 01:01:44 | |
| they've done or accumulated an expertise somewhere else. | 01:01:49 | |
| But. | 01:01:53 | |
| People typically start somewhere between step one and Step 3, so you're looking at. | 01:01:55 | |
| Two to five years of time. | 01:02:00 | |
| That an individual is getting those. | 01:02:02 | |
| Those steps. | 01:02:04 | |
| That's. | 01:02:08 | |
| All those steps below the Step 5. | 01:02:10 | |
| Lower than market? | 01:02:12 | |
| 5 is the market. | 01:02:13 | |
| When we talk about the 2.5%. | 01:02:15 | |
| It's it's not. | 01:02:18 | |
| Accurate to. | 01:02:20 | |
| Add those together. | 01:02:21 | |
| Is never with me. Did I say that? | 01:02:23 | |
| Clear enough? | 01:02:25 | |
| Um, so the 2.64%. | 01:02:26 | |
| Is the whole schedule. | 01:02:29 | |
| Tied to inflation. | 01:02:30 | |
| Tied to the CPI. | 01:02:32 | |
| With with the state, with Employment Relations Commission. | 01:02:33 | |
| The 2 1/2 percent is a step. | 01:02:36 | |
| And it is only for people who have been here. | 01:02:38 | |
| For more than five years. | 01:02:41 | |
| So generally. | 01:02:43 | |
| Some that may have started on a higher step. | 01:02:44 | |
| Might be here less than five years. | 01:02:47 | |
| But it's only for those people that otherwise. | 01:02:49 | |
| Would not get that step change. | 01:02:51 | |
| So anybody that is below Step 5. | 01:02:53 | |
| Regardless of discussion here, unless you change the policy for how we do wages. | 01:02:56 | |
| And and raises. | 01:03:01 | |
| Unless you did that, everybody below Step 5 is getting that raise. | 01:03:02 | |
| In addition to. | 01:03:07 | |
| The 2.64%. | 01:03:08 | |
| People above that. | 01:03:11 | |
| Step 5. | 01:03:13 | |
| They don't get anything. | 01:03:14 | |
| In addition to the 2.6. | 01:03:16 | |
| Six, 4%. | 01:03:18 | |
| Unless. | 01:03:19 | |
| You all approve it. | 01:03:20 | |
| So when we're talking about. | 01:03:22 | |
| I I bring this up because. | 01:03:24 | |
| I've heard 5% or or. | 01:03:26 | |
| Other other figures. | 01:03:29 | |
| That's only accurate. | 01:03:31 | |
| For a very few. | 01:03:33 | |
| It's not accurate for the whole. | 01:03:35 | |
| The 2.64 is for the whole. | 01:03:37 | |
| The 2.5 is. | 01:03:38 | |
| A portion of all of our employees. | 01:03:41 | |
| And. | 01:03:43 | |
| That is all. Thank you, Mr. Chair. | 01:03:45 | |
| Supervisor. | 01:03:47 | |
| I just got one quick question. | 01:03:51 | |
| Um. | 01:03:54 | |
| Would urinalysis be that our bond rating would be? | 01:03:57 | |
| Worse. | 01:04:02 | |
| If we borrowed money. | 01:04:04 | |
| Then if we paid for it out of our. | 01:04:08 | |
| Fund balance. | 01:04:11 | |
| No, no, no. | 01:04:13 | |
| I don't think so. | 01:04:15 | |
| What I'm saying, what I'm saying is, it seems common sense to me that if we pay for. | 01:04:17 | |
| Something and we don't borrow. | 01:04:21 | |
| That our bond or anything should be better, correct? | 01:04:24 | |
| The the limiting factor, they tell us, is the average. | 01:04:28 | |
| Household income in the county. | 01:04:34 | |
| That everything we have done. | 01:04:37 | |
| Has taken us as high as we can go. | 01:04:40 | |
| As a as a county board. | 01:04:43 | |
| So it's a general economic. | 01:04:45 | |
| Situation in the county. | 01:04:49 | |
| That is the deciding factor what the limit is. | 01:04:52 | |
| For your bind rating. | 01:04:56 | |
| We we carry very little debt, so the market tends to. | 01:04:59 | |
| Like. | 01:05:05 | |
| Finding more than somebody with our with the same. | 01:05:07 | |
| Bond rating because we have so little debt. | 01:05:11 | |
| And that's kind of what I'm getting at. I mean, if we pay for it instead of borrowing, shouldn't? | 01:05:14 | |
| Shouldn't our our status be better for? | 01:05:18 | |
| The bond rating. | 01:05:21 | |
| It should, but it doesn't seem to do. | 01:05:22 | |
| All right. | 01:05:26 | |
| Yeah. | 01:05:29 | |
| Our computer up here decided we were done a few minutes ago. So I think we're we're coming back on. So let's let's try. Go ahead. | 01:05:37 | |
| Kathy, I think I turned you on there. Thank you. | 01:05:42 | |
| A couple questions for Mr. Clapper. | 01:05:47 | |
| In one statement, the statement is. | 01:05:50 | |
| That you said that no one would have to pay. | 01:05:53 | |
| Until 27. | 01:05:56 | |
| And to me, that's just like getting one year, no interest. | 01:05:58 | |
| And I don't think I want to go there. | 01:06:02 | |
| Because because your interest does come and it does go back on how much. | 01:06:05 | |
| You didn't pay along the way. It's one year. No, it's not one year, no interest. It's one year, no payment. | 01:06:09 | |
| Right, because the interest is still accumulating so. | 01:06:15 | |
| I I think that we need to remember that. | 01:06:19 | |
| Interest is growing every day. | 01:06:22 | |
| #2 when you said that. | 01:06:24 | |
| The second raises only for people. | 01:06:27 | |
| On Step 5. | 01:06:30 | |
| Do you mean 678910 also? | 01:06:32 | |
| We don't have a 678910, we have a big range. | 01:06:35 | |
| That's open between 5:00 and the top. | 01:06:39 | |
| And that used to be a merit based system. | 01:06:43 | |
| We no longer have the merit based system. | 01:06:47 | |
| But we still. | 01:06:50 | |
| In every budget. | 01:06:51 | |
| Bring forward. | 01:06:53 | |
| A proposal for what would a step increase for people in that area? | 01:06:54 | |
| Look like and that's why we brought forth a 2.5. It's the. The 2.5 is the same. | 01:06:58 | |
| Gap I guess. | 01:07:04 | |
| Generally between the other steps. | 01:07:05 | |
| But there's no specific step in that. | 01:07:07 | |
| So can you tell me how much money? | 01:07:09 | |
| That. | 01:07:12 | |
| Raise itself is going to cost. | 01:07:13 | |
| I can't off the top of my head, but I know that we have that number. | 01:07:16 | |
| So, Mackenzie, if you could. | 01:07:19 | |
| I'm looking for right now just one second. | 01:07:33 | |
| So it would be a difference of 113,405. | 01:07:45 | |
| I'm with. | 01:07:50 | |
| Pardon, it would be a difference of 113,405. | 01:07:52 | |
| OK. Thank you. | 01:07:56 | |
| It's forever after there. | 01:08:05 | |
| Supervisor Presble. | 01:08:09 | |
| They can't. Excuse me. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 01:08:10 | |
| I guess I have a question. | 01:08:15 | |
| This second step. | 01:08:17 | |
| Why is this not merit? | 01:08:19 | |
| Beast everybody that's paying these wages. | 01:08:22 | |
| In their taxes. | 01:08:27 | |
| Whether it be? | 01:08:28 | |
| Property taxes or. | 01:08:30 | |
| Through. | 01:08:32 | |
| Money that comes in from the state. | 01:08:33 | |
| All government money. | 01:08:35 | |
| Is the people's money. | 01:08:37 | |
| So why? | 01:08:39 | |
| Why aren't these merit based? | 01:08:40 | |
| I mean, it's crazy, the people. | 01:08:42 | |
| That are paying for these raises. | 01:08:45 | |
| They get their increases based on their merit. | 01:08:47 | |
| Or their efficiencies in their operations if they're business people? | 01:08:50 | |
| Why would the people? | 01:08:54 | |
| For paying the bill. | 01:08:56 | |
| Have to do it on merit. | 01:08:58 | |
| And not the people that are getting it. | 01:09:00 | |
| I will. I will tell you the. | 01:09:02 | |
| Problems we had with it was that. | 01:09:04 | |
| Different supervisors. | 01:09:08 | |
| Evaluated. | 01:09:10 | |
| Differently so. | 01:09:11 | |
| Merit base wasn't being done. | 01:09:13 | |
| Fairly on. | 01:09:17 | |
| Merritt. | 01:09:18 | |
| That was our issue. | 01:09:20 | |
| Well, I I would question then. | 01:09:22 | |
| Why were those supervisors still supervisors if they had an inability to be fair with their employees? | 01:09:25 | |
| Yeah, you know you're. | 01:09:33 | |
| I mean, honestly, we have, we have an administrator here that's. | 01:09:35 | |
| If it was going to. | 01:09:39 | |
| If you're going to do that. | 01:09:40 | |
| The administrator would have to evaluate every employee, which is. | 01:09:42 | |
| Not feasible. | 01:09:46 | |
| If you're, you'd have to have one person evaluate everybody. | 01:09:48 | |
| Well, because it's going to be hard, we won't do it. | 01:09:51 | |
| I mean, we're sitting here. | 01:09:55 | |
| Trying to figure out where we're coming up with money for this stuff, and that's not easy. | 01:09:58 | |
| I mean, just because something's hard doesn't mean we don't do it. | 01:10:03 | |
| If I if I thank you. | 01:10:10 | |
| So. | 01:10:12 | |
| A very reasonable question, and one that I've. | 01:10:14 | |
| Supervisor Brazil, I've heard before. | 01:10:17 | |
| Well, here and elsewhere. | 01:10:19 | |
| A couple things to share. | 01:10:21 | |
| The first is. | 01:10:23 | |
| There are lots of ways to address performance that each of our supervisors and department directors is expected to. | 01:10:25 | |
| To do. | 01:10:30 | |
| And to manage. | 01:10:31 | |
| So. | 01:10:33 | |
| With that in mind. | 01:10:34 | |
| The the the. | 01:10:37 | |
| The need for merit pay. | 01:10:39 | |
| As a means of promoting performance. | 01:10:42 | |
| Is not. | 01:10:45 | |
| Necessary. | 01:10:47 | |
| To be able to draw out performance. | 01:10:48 | |
| In a private entity. | 01:10:51 | |
| Private organization where you don't have to publish your wages and you don't have to tell each other what everybody's making. | 01:10:52 | |
| It's a little bit easier than. | 01:10:59 | |
| To have a system like that, I think overall. | 01:11:01 | |
| A merit based system is ideal. | 01:11:03 | |
| But when you live in or when you operate out of a public entity where everybody can see everybody else's wages. | 01:11:05 | |
| When you'd have that. | 01:11:13 | |
| It's very difficult because there's no absolutely objective system. | 01:11:15 | |
| And there will always be some level of subjectivity. | 01:11:19 | |
| On the part of the supervisors. | 01:11:23 | |
| So in addition to the load that it. | 01:11:25 | |
| It places on. | 01:11:27 | |
| Human Resources at the administrator to follow up. | 01:11:29 | |
| I would just. | 01:11:33 | |
| Suggest. | 01:11:34 | |
| And my decision, my opinion. | 01:11:35 | |
| That's not an effective use of our time. Better is. | 01:11:37 | |
| Requiring our department directors to manage employees every day of the year. | 01:11:40 | |
| And then when they have their annual performance meetings with those employees. | 01:11:45 | |
| It becomes a coaching session. | 01:11:48 | |
| Where the employee can learn from the experience. | 01:11:51 | |
| And improve performance. | 01:11:53 | |
| Rather than everybody coming in. | 01:11:55 | |
| Very tentious and. | 01:11:57 | |
| All about. | 01:11:59 | |
| What's my raise gonna be next year? | 01:12:00 | |
| And that's those are the 2 problems the what's my raise going to be next year? | 01:12:02 | |
| And the fact that everybody sees everybody else's money. | 01:12:06 | |
| And what they're making. | 01:12:09 | |
| Make merit pay systems very difficult to do successfully. | 01:12:10 | |
| In local governments. | 01:12:14 | |
| And and in an organization this size. | 01:12:15 | |
| Where you have. | 01:12:18 | |
| There's a level of detachment sometimes from the employees working in a department that don't see the end result. | 01:12:19 | |
| That's you. You can't get them to do their their work out of. | 01:12:27 | |
| A sense of feeling like. | 01:12:33 | |
| The common folks. | 01:12:35 | |
| Watching him every day. | 01:12:36 | |
| There's there's not necessarily. | 01:12:38 | |
| Always a reminder that they work for the people because they're part of a big entity. | 01:12:40 | |
| It's a little deeper maybe then you'd want me to go, but. | 01:12:44 | |
| The point is. | 01:12:47 | |
| There's there's lots of ways to address performance. | 01:12:48 | |
| Merit pay my opinion. | 01:12:52 | |
| Doesn't work. | 01:12:54 | |
| Very well, if at all, for public sector, especially larger public sector organizations. | 01:12:55 | |
| OK. Thank you. | 01:13:01 | |
| Anyone else? | 01:13:03 | |
| Daniel, we remind people that there are budget amendment forms on your desk. | 01:13:06 | |
| So if if you need more. | 01:13:12 | |
| Let us know. | 01:13:14 | |
| Supervisor Johnson. | 01:13:18 | |
| OK, I make a motion to adjourn to the next meeting on Wednesday, November 12th at. | 01:13:20 | |
| 9:00 AM. | 01:13:24 | |
| Have a second by Supervisor Miller. | 01:13:27 | |
| All in favor signify by aye. | 01:13:29 | |
| Aye, opposed. That is carried. Thank you. | 01:13:32 |
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Transcript
| And is. | 00:00:00 | |
| We haven't got Supervisor Conley on the phone, right? | 00:00:01 | |
| All right. | 00:00:11 | |
| And supervisor Chloe Char is not here so. | 00:00:17 | |
| OK. All right. Roll call has been taken. | 00:00:21 | |
| If you are here. | 00:00:25 | |
| For the. | 00:00:26 | |
| Public hearing. | 00:00:27 | |
| There are forms out. | 00:00:29 | |
| On the table and we would. | 00:00:31 | |
| Appreciate a form filled out so we can take everyone in order. | 00:00:32 | |
| So at this point there are no. | 00:00:36 | |
| Forms filled, so I'm. | 00:00:38 | |
| So I will declare the public hearing on the 2026 Dodge County budget open and receive testimony. | 00:00:42 | |
| And the clerk will. | 00:00:49 | |
| Read the notice. | 00:00:51 | |
| On October 30th, 2025, I received a proof of publication affidavit from Lee Enterprises dating Ashley Singleton of the Daily | 00:00:53 | |
| Citizen newspaper. | 00:00:58 | |
| Publish the Dodge County budget notice on October 14th, 2025 in the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen. | 00:01:03 | |
| The proof of publication affidavit is on file in my office. | 00:01:10 | |
| Thank you. | 00:01:15 | |
| Is there anyone here for the public hearing? | 00:01:18 | |
| Nobody. | 00:01:24 | |
| Since we have no one here. | 00:01:28 | |
| I will declare the public hearing closed. | 00:01:30 | |
| We're down to #6 board discussion on the 2026 budget. | 00:01:36 | |
| Are there specific? | 00:01:41 | |
| Questions anyone would have? | 00:01:44 | |
| One thing. | 00:01:46 | |
| You want to make the announcement about the forms on the desk. | 00:01:47 | |
| Each person does have two. | 00:01:52 | |
| Hard copies of the amendment forms on your desk. | 00:01:56 | |
| If you think that you need another hard copy, please let me know. I have a few extra up here or I can get you another one. | 00:01:59 | |
| Also, they are available online if you want to do that digitally. | 00:02:06 | |
| Are there any? | 00:02:15 | |
| Questions. | 00:02:18 | |
| What did the Forbes do and. | 00:02:20 | |
| So the form should be submitted to the finance department so that they can. | 00:02:24 | |
| Make sure that the accounts and the amounts. | 00:02:30 | |
| You know, changed according to what your amendment would be. | 00:02:33 | |
| The oh I have to grab the dates here. | 00:02:39 | |
| So. | 00:02:45 | |
| Ideally. | 00:02:46 | |
| You would submit your amendments to Finance. | 00:02:47 | |
| By Monday, November. | 00:02:51 | |
| Third. Yeah. | 00:02:53 | |
| By noon. | 00:02:55 | |
| The absolute last date to submit those would be Friday the 7th at noon. | 00:02:57 | |
| Any others would have to be brought forth on that day in writing. | 00:03:05 | |
| Supervisor Steger. | 00:03:11 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:03:13 | |
| In my district. | 00:03:16 | |
| I've been getting a lot of feedback from my constituents. | 00:03:17 | |
| I have roads that are just crumbling. | 00:03:21 | |
| The edges are gone and they're not. | 00:03:24 | |
| Expected to be done for another three years. | 00:03:28 | |
| And I know we only got 8.9 miles right now in the budget. | 00:03:31 | |
| For roads. | 00:03:35 | |
| And I know all the rule is. | 00:03:36 | |
| That they want to do 22 miles. | 00:03:38 | |
| A year, Try to do 22 miles a year, that's. | 00:03:42 | |
| That's figuring a 25 year plan. | 00:03:45 | |
| Well. | 00:03:47 | |
| The roads that you do, you can't tell me that they're going to last 25 years. | 00:03:49 | |
| Not the way they're doing them. | 00:03:55 | |
| You know. | 00:03:56 | |
| They're doing them to the best they can with the money that they have, but. | 00:03:57 | |
| You're not going to get 25 years out of a Rd. | 00:04:01 | |
| And I just feel that that 22 or that 25 year. | 00:04:04 | |
| Turn her on. | 00:04:09 | |
| Should be pushed up more. | 00:04:10 | |
| And I know it's going to cost more money. We're we're going to have to come up. | 00:04:12 | |
| And find a different way. | 00:04:17 | |
| Or more funding for our roads still. | 00:04:19 | |
| Thank you. | 00:04:22 | |
| OK. | 00:04:23 | |
| Anyone else? | 00:04:26 | |
| Supervisor Free Vault. | 00:04:31 | |
| I just wanted to say that I did receive several phone calls from people in my district who were. | 00:04:33 | |
| Very against. | 00:04:39 | |
| US borrowing money for the roads. | 00:04:42 | |
| And I tried to direct him as many of them as I could to you so you could hear him too. | 00:04:44 | |
| So. | 00:04:48 | |
| And, and I did get some calls from other districts and I tried to send them to you guys too. So I don't know, everybody was | 00:04:49 | |
| calling me so. | 00:04:52 | |
| Swelling. | 00:04:55 | |
| Anyone else? | 00:05:02 | |
| Supervisor Hedrick. | 00:05:03 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to thank the Administrator and Finance Director and Finance. | 00:05:06 | |
| Department for all of the hard work. | 00:05:13 | |
| Putting this together, this is a wonderful document. | 00:05:15 | |
| It gets more comprehensive every year. | 00:05:18 | |
| And easier for. | 00:05:21 | |
| People like me who aren't overly. | 00:05:23 | |
| Financially literate. | 00:05:25 | |
| To understand and follow and. | 00:05:27 | |
| Make sense of. | 00:05:30 | |
| I just appreciation. | 00:05:31 | |
| Any other comments, questions? | 00:05:37 | |
| We all made the effort to be here, so if you have questions, now is a good time. | 00:05:45 | |
| Seeing none. | 00:05:55 | |
| I will entertain a motion from. | 00:05:57 | |
| Here we go, Supervisor Houchin. | 00:06:01 | |
| I didn't drive all this way for 6 minutes. | 00:06:03 | |
| I talked to. | 00:06:10 | |
| Mr. Clapper today. | 00:06:11 | |
| In reference to a comment that was made on the floor from. | 00:06:13 | |
| Lisa on. | 00:06:18 | |
| Tuesday night about. | 00:06:19 | |
| 75% of our budget being mandated. | 00:06:21 | |
| And. | 00:06:24 | |
| I really think we need to know how much of this budget is mandated and how much of this mandate. | 00:06:25 | |
| Is reimbursable because some of the mandates we get. | 00:06:30 | |
| The money for from the government we know a lot of HSS gets. | 00:06:34 | |
| Reimbursed. | 00:06:38 | |
| So. | 00:06:39 | |
| Mr. Clapper couldn't tell me. | 00:06:42 | |
| He says he can't tell me until after the 12th. | 00:06:45 | |
| Which is a little too late. | 00:06:47 | |
| From in my opinion, I'm glad to get it. | 00:06:49 | |
| I want to get it. | 00:06:51 | |
| But I think the board needs to know how much of this is mandated. | 00:06:52 | |
| How much is reimbursed of that is mandated and? | 00:06:56 | |
| I know I can find some money in this budget towards Rose. | 00:07:00 | |
| And I think we need to have an open discussion tonight about. | 00:07:04 | |
| How we're going to pay for roads if we don't do borrowing? | 00:07:07 | |
| Where we can find it? | 00:07:10 | |
| Your constituents. | 00:07:12 | |
| What new roads, We all know that. | 00:07:13 | |
| I mean, it's out there. | 00:07:15 | |
| So what can we? | 00:07:16 | |
| Give one more year with. | 00:07:19 | |
| In order to get some money for roads. | 00:07:21 | |
| I know we all like new, we like Shiny, we think that our request is the most important. | 00:07:23 | |
| But what could I have for one more year? | 00:07:29 | |
| At least and then. | 00:07:31 | |
| During this next year, we have to iron out this. | 00:07:32 | |
| This thing about roads and maybe the enterprise. | 00:07:36 | |
| The enterprise of Hwy. will figure out where they can save some money so they have more money towards roads because. | 00:07:41 | |
| Hopefully. | 00:07:47 | |
| The enterprise is making money so they can do the roads. | 00:07:47 | |
| Because when I looked at. | 00:07:51 | |
| The finances on that, it looked like there are a lot of problems in the highway. | 00:07:53 | |
| With money so. | 00:07:57 | |
| I guess I'd really like us to have a discussion on roads and how we're, we all know that's the major issue. | 00:08:00 | |
| And how we're going to find money and. | 00:08:06 | |
| If we don't borrow. | 00:08:08 | |
| I mean. | 00:08:10 | |
| I I've done some research. | 00:08:10 | |
| I figured out some money ways to get money. | 00:08:13 | |
| If we. | 00:08:15 | |
| Don't give away the community grant. That's 2 million there. We've got a million of ARPA sitting. | 00:08:17 | |
| City interest sitting there, we could use some of that. | 00:08:23 | |
| And maybe if we had a few less of this or that or the other thing. | 00:08:27 | |
| Maybe we could come up with some money. | 00:08:30 | |
| And I think the county also needs to think about shared services. | 00:08:33 | |
| How could we share with another county something that would save us money and the money? | 00:08:36 | |
| The thing that. | 00:08:42 | |
| I think of right away when I think about that and I don't even know if it would save money or not. | 00:08:43 | |
| Is like dispatch. | 00:08:47 | |
| Because when you call into dispatch, they know. | 00:08:49 | |
| Where you live immediately. | 00:08:51 | |
| And could we share dispatch with another county? | 00:08:53 | |
| Went side by side and. | 00:08:56 | |
| I don't know if it would save us money or not. | 00:08:58 | |
| I just think it's something to look into. | 00:09:00 | |
| Are there other ways we could look? | 00:09:02 | |
| Into saving some money by shared services. | 00:09:04 | |
| Thanks. | 00:09:07 | |
| Cameron and and finance, is there a way that we would be able to have. | 00:09:14 | |
| At least an estimate of what? | 00:09:19 | |
| The unfunded mandates. | 00:09:21 | |
| I've been looking for Splendid. | 00:09:27 | |
| Or your. I think the question was a question for. | 00:09:29 | |
| Those things that are funded, that are mandated. | 00:09:32 | |
| Just just period all the things that are mandated. | 00:09:34 | |
| And what the cost is that we're reimbursed for? | 00:09:36 | |
| OK. | 00:09:40 | |
| OK. Thank you. Yep. | 00:09:41 | |
| Yeah, so I, I know. | 00:09:43 | |
| Well yes to knowing something about or giving you a ballpark on what services there are. | 00:09:46 | |
| It's a little bit more. | 00:09:55 | |
| We could give you estimates. | 00:09:57 | |
| But we would not be able to give you, I think. | 00:09:58 | |
| Exact dollars. | 00:10:01 | |
| Do you have any more? | 00:10:02 | |
| Right. A good, very good point, Mackenzie. So another. | 00:10:10 | |
| Peace with that what we would. | 00:10:15 | |
| What we would want to share for you is what is required by statute. | 00:10:17 | |
| But then there's also. | 00:10:23 | |
| Well, most of it directly or indirectly. | 00:10:24 | |
| Goes to a statute. | 00:10:27 | |
| But there are some things that are. | 00:10:29 | |
| Not necessarily mandated, but you wouldn't do the mandated service. | 00:10:31 | |
| Without having them. | 00:10:35 | |
| So. | 00:10:36 | |
| I don't really think. | 00:10:37 | |
| Any of. | 00:10:39 | |
| Any of general administration is. | 00:10:40 | |
| Perhaps directly mandated? | 00:10:43 | |
| But if you don't have people. | 00:10:46 | |
| They're savvy and software and you don't have people that are keeping track of our books. | 00:10:47 | |
| Then we can't necessarily fulfill other statutory responsibilities. We have the county. | 00:10:52 | |
| So. | 00:10:57 | |
| I can break that out. | 00:10:59 | |
| And I can give, but it's going to be very general. So when we talk today, my reason for saying I couldn't do that is. | 00:11:01 | |
| Is it would be very general, I would love to have a more specific number. | 00:11:06 | |
| But. | 00:11:10 | |
| That. | 00:11:11 | |
| We would have to wait until we had a budget or we could we could look at doing that for a year that has passed already. | 00:11:11 | |
| But every time. | 00:11:17 | |
| We make a change or something happens over the course of the year. | 00:11:18 | |
| Grant dollar shift. | 00:11:22 | |
| That we're getting for some of those services. | 00:11:23 | |
| And things fluctuate, so ballpark is what we could do. | 00:11:25 | |
| Thank you. | 00:11:29 | |
| Supervisor Keel. | 00:11:32 | |
| Yes, thank you. | 00:11:34 | |
| When you talk about wanting to. | 00:11:37 | |
| Cut expenses so that we have. | 00:11:40 | |
| Money for roads? | 00:11:45 | |
| You have to think of the source of the funding. | 00:11:47 | |
| That you're. | 00:11:50 | |
| Looking for. | 00:11:51 | |
| Is it something that can be switched? | 00:11:52 | |
| And on page 12 in the budget. | 00:11:55 | |
| Is a good summary of how things are funded. | 00:11:58 | |
| And I just like to. | 00:12:02 | |
| Point out that. | 00:12:04 | |
| On the left. | 00:12:05 | |
| Side is your expenses. | 00:12:06 | |
| And then over on the. | 00:12:09 | |
| Right side you show the revenues, how are we funding each everyone? | 00:12:10 | |
| Each department. | 00:12:15 | |
| Operations. Those are generated revenues or grants. | 00:12:16 | |
| Then you've got tax levy and you've got sales tax. | 00:12:20 | |
| And a few other revenues which are usually internal. | 00:12:23 | |
| Transactions. | 00:12:27 | |
| So. | 00:12:29 | |
| I'm just saying you have tax levy as a source. | 00:12:31 | |
| And you have sales tax as a source. So yes, the 2 million that is going to. | 00:12:34 | |
| Community Development. | 00:12:41 | |
| Is showing up under sales tax under the county administrator. | 00:12:43 | |
| Other than that, you know you're. | 00:12:49 | |
| You're looking at. | 00:12:51 | |
| Specific projects that were in the capital improvement plan. | 00:12:52 | |
| That were given priorities, so you change your priorities. | 00:12:58 | |
| To but, but in total, you know, sales tax is 10 million. | 00:13:04 | |
| You're going to put all 10 million of roads because the roads figure. | 00:13:09 | |
| That you need. | 00:13:12 | |
| If you're going to start. | 00:13:14 | |
| You know, getting up to. | 00:13:16 | |
| I'm not going to talk to 22, but between the 8. | 00:13:20 | |
| Point something to the 22. | 00:13:23 | |
| Another 10 miles. | 00:13:26 | |
| You're talking how many millions? | 00:13:27 | |
| 15. | 00:13:30 | |
| You know what a road cost. | 00:13:31 | |
| Five years ago is probably double now. | 00:13:34 | |
| Between. | 00:13:39 | |
| Labor and the fuel. | 00:13:41 | |
| For they asked for all the oil. So I'm just saying you've got to look at the. | 00:13:44 | |
| What is available to you? | 00:13:48 | |
| And in general government. | 00:13:51 | |
| General Fund. | 00:13:54 | |
| Under the general government. | 00:13:56 | |
| You know when you talk mandates, court systems. | 00:13:59 | |
| You have to function. | 00:14:04 | |
| And that's where your levees go, Sheriff. | 00:14:06 | |
| You know. | 00:14:10 | |
| If you look down that column, there's your levees. | 00:14:11 | |
| And you can only move those monies around so much. I just wanted to point that out. | 00:14:15 | |
| That's a. | 00:14:20 | |
| Good place, you know. | 00:14:20 | |
| And cutting expenses. | 00:14:23 | |
| Cutting people. | 00:14:25 | |
| I always want to make this point. | 00:14:27 | |
| When you cut one person, remember you're paying for the unemployment. | 00:14:29 | |
| And then they will probably go on our social service roles. | 00:14:33 | |
| For health insurance. | 00:14:36 | |
| Or something. So you you need to. | 00:14:38 | |
| Think of the consequences and then. | 00:14:41 | |
| The Lawson service. | 00:14:43 | |
| We're not serving our client. | 00:14:45 | |
| Our customers. | 00:14:47 | |
| Our citizens. | 00:14:49 | |
| Thank you. | 00:14:51 | |
| Supervisor bubbles. | 00:14:53 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chair. | 00:14:56 | |
| When you talk about borrowing money for roads. | 00:14:58 | |
| I think a lot of. | 00:15:01 | |
| The constituents. | 00:15:03 | |
| Think uh. | 00:15:05 | |
| OK, you're gonna borrow money for roads. You're gonna fix all our roads. | 00:15:06 | |
| And that's a big misconception that they don't understand. | 00:15:10 | |
| The road surrounding my home. | 00:15:14 | |
| Are all town roads. | 00:15:16 | |
| We can borrow. | 00:15:17 | |
| $17 million a year. | 00:15:19 | |
| It's not going to fix one of my roads. | 00:15:22 | |
| And they don't get that concept in. | 00:15:26 | |
| I think. | 00:15:31 | |
| If we want to borrow money, I'm more apt to go with a referendum. Let the people speak. | 00:15:33 | |
| Instead of. | 00:15:39 | |
| 32 or 33 of us make the decision that's going to affect everyone because. | 00:15:41 | |
| If we take and borrow money. | 00:15:47 | |
| To fix. | 00:15:50 | |
| The county roads. | 00:15:51 | |
| The townships. | 00:15:53 | |
| Borrow money. | 00:15:54 | |
| To fix the town roads. OK, now we're taxed twice. | 00:15:56 | |
| How many school referendums do we have out in all different communities? I know the school district, Beaver Dam has three of them | 00:16:00 | |
| going right now. | 00:16:04 | |
| There's got to be a different way. | 00:16:11 | |
| And I think if we really seriously want to borrow money, let. | 00:16:13 | |
| The people speak. | 00:16:18 | |
| So I would be more favorable. | 00:16:20 | |
| For referendum. | 00:16:23 | |
| Even if it's going to cost. | 00:16:24 | |
| A little more upfront, they're gonna know. | 00:16:26 | |
| Instead of justice, all of us making a decision for them. | 00:16:30 | |
| Thank you. | 00:16:34 | |
| Supervisor. | 00:16:36 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:16:38 | |
| Just two things. | 00:16:40 | |
| When supervisor how Chin was talking about the shared services, that's a great idea. I do know that the highway department. | 00:16:41 | |
| They, I was not at this meeting, but they just had all the local villages and towns and municipalities and for the LRIP. | 00:16:48 | |
| Allocations and how they're going to divvy out that funding. | 00:16:55 | |
| But there also was, if I recall right, and I, like I said, I wasn't there. One of my fellow supervisors from Calamus was there. | 00:17:00 | |
| There was another meeting afterwards where the highway department inquired. | 00:17:05 | |
| About what resources that towns have. | 00:17:10 | |
| That maybe that we could feed off each other. | 00:17:13 | |
| To help. | 00:17:15 | |
| Offset some of these costs that all of our municipalities. | 00:17:16 | |
| Together. So I just wanted to make that aware because I'm sure a lot of people don't know that. | 00:17:20 | |
| You know, as far as brown for the roads, I think I made it clear the other night I'm in favor of it. I've done it for the town of | 00:17:25 | |
| Kalamas. | 00:17:28 | |
| And it's worked out really good. | 00:17:31 | |
| I understand supervisors bullets concerns with the town roads. | 00:17:33 | |
| You know the towns are borrowing and the person that lives on the town Rd. might not benefit from it. | 00:17:38 | |
| But they are because they're still using our county roads, so. | 00:17:42 | |
| I I like I said, I respect everyone's opinion, but I just. | 00:17:46 | |
| I I do think it's something that needs to be done. | 00:17:49 | |
| Thank you. | 00:17:52 | |
| Supervisor Derrick. | 00:17:53 | |
| I'm I'm always normally saying that we. | 00:17:56 | |
| We really shouldn't be supervising this and we shouldn't be doing that and. | 00:17:59 | |
| We got to do policy. | 00:18:02 | |
| And I'm. | 00:18:04 | |
| Actually saying that. | 00:18:05 | |
| Doing the budget? | 00:18:07 | |
| Is policy. | 00:18:08 | |
| This. | 00:18:10 | |
| Is our job. | 00:18:11 | |
| And. | 00:18:13 | |
| The authority we get. | 00:18:14 | |
| To make these determinations comes from the people that elected us. | 00:18:16 | |
| So we don't need a second. | 00:18:22 | |
| Pseudo election. | 00:18:23 | |
| Right, It's our fundamental job. | 00:18:25 | |
| To approve a budget. | 00:18:28 | |
| And. | 00:18:31 | |
| I I truly respect and I get a lot of calls and I really want to hear what people say. | 00:18:34 | |
| And yet a lot of people who call. | 00:18:40 | |
| Don't have the benefit of. | 00:18:43 | |
| Listening to the finance director, they don't have the benefit of listening to the accounting firm that's telling us how much. | 00:18:45 | |
| How? | 00:18:53 | |
| Really significant our fund balances. | 00:18:54 | |
| And explaining how. | 00:18:58 | |
| Municipal finance works and how we would be refreshing it. You know, our constituents don't have that. | 00:19:00 | |
| And we do. | 00:19:06 | |
| So. | 00:19:07 | |
| I think a lot of schools do referendums because it's required by statute. There's a cap. | 00:19:09 | |
| And you know. | 00:19:13 | |
| We can do whatever budget we want, but I. | 00:19:15 | |
| I think this is our one of our core responsibilities. | 00:19:17 | |
| Supervisor Guckenberger. | 00:19:22 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:19:24 | |
| I get to. | 00:19:26 | |
| Two issues or two concerns, so. | 00:19:26 | |
| Tech one first and then. | 00:19:29 | |
| We'll look back to the other one. | 00:19:30 | |
| I would want to know who made the decision and I'm going to use this word. | 00:19:33 | |
| To gut the UW Extension program or the staff within that department. | 00:19:38 | |
| I mean, we're down to. | 00:19:44 | |
| One individual. | 00:19:48 | |
| When you look at. | 00:19:51 | |
| Overall staffing within the whole county, you know that department took. | 00:19:52 | |
| A substantial hit. | 00:19:56 | |
| And I wanna know how that's gonna affect the programs within their. | 00:19:59 | |
| More specifically, you know, for each programs and programs for the youth. | 00:20:03 | |
| Because it just seems like if if we're left with one individual to. | 00:20:09 | |
| Work in that department. | 00:20:13 | |
| May not be enough. | 00:20:18 | |
| So if if. | 00:20:19 | |
| Cameron, OR. | 00:20:22 | |
| Whoever made the decision to. | 00:20:23 | |
| To put these cuts in place would. | 00:20:24 | |
| Give me some of the justification, then I could live with that. | 00:20:27 | |
| Go ahead. All right. | 00:20:34 | |
| Good question, So let me share with you. | 00:20:36 | |
| I guess ultimately, from the county's perspective, I would be the one that would be accountable for. | 00:20:38 | |
| For that decision. | 00:20:42 | |
| However, it's. | 00:20:44 | |
| The extension is not directly reporting to us and I had a conversation with the area. | 00:20:46 | |
| Director. | 00:20:51 | |
| For extension. | 00:20:52 | |
| We have shifted focus or responsibility for the Dodge County Fair. | 00:20:54 | |
| At least. | 00:21:00 | |
| Anything the county does to support the Dodge County Fair. | 00:21:01 | |
| That has by and by. | 00:21:04 | |
| Been removed. | 00:21:06 | |
| From the extension office. | 00:21:07 | |
| So there was one part time position involved with 4H. | 00:21:09 | |
| That. | 00:21:13 | |
| After our area. | 00:21:14 | |
| Extension director looked into. | 00:21:16 | |
| Their day-to-day. | 00:21:18 | |
| Determined that you know that position if if. | 00:21:20 | |
| The extensions not taking care of or funding or. | 00:21:23 | |
| Fulfilling responsibilities associated with the overall Dodge County Fair. Anymore, that position is unnecessary. | 00:21:27 | |
| So that was eliminated. | 00:21:33 | |
| Then we had the. | 00:21:36 | |
| Reduction in. | 00:21:38 | |
| Personnel. | 00:21:40 | |
| Just statewide and extension wide from the. | 00:21:41 | |
| Big beautiful Bill and the elimination of the SNAP program. So our food wise folks that would be meeting with school. | 00:21:44 | |
| Districts and talking about. | 00:21:51 | |
| Brushing your teeth and eating, eating well and some exercise programs and Wellness things like that, they're gone. | 00:21:53 | |
| That's that's unrelated to anything we. | 00:21:59 | |
| We've done. | 00:22:01 | |
| But then also after looking at, oh, I guess I should say too, in addition to those we had. | 00:22:03 | |
| We had tried an experiment in 2025. | 00:22:08 | |
| And we brought in a person that could be a support in the realm of economic development. | 00:22:12 | |
| But that. | 00:22:18 | |
| The ultimately we learned from that experience. | 00:22:19 | |
| That what we need. | 00:22:22 | |
| In that spot was not what we. | 00:22:24 | |
| But we had. | 00:22:27 | |
| I guess. | 00:22:28 | |
| Available to us in terms of not because of the person we had a. | 00:22:29 | |
| Very capable individual. | 00:22:34 | |
| But. | 00:22:36 | |
| The the realm and focus that. | 00:22:36 | |
| That she. | 00:22:38 | |
| Was involved in. | 00:22:39 | |
| Wasn't as direct and. | 00:22:41 | |
| Helpful for our. | 00:22:44 | |
| Economic development efforts as. | 00:22:46 | |
| As originally had been supposed, there's just some some issues there. | 00:22:48 | |
| So. | 00:22:53 | |
| She has taken a job with a different county and we will no longer have that position for 2026. We may explore it again in the | 00:22:54 | |
| future, but there's some other logistical things to work on before we would do that. | 00:23:00 | |
| Internally. | 00:23:06 | |
| So with that position gone. | 00:23:08 | |
| And with the elimination of the part time person for 4H and with the elimination of the SNAP program. | 00:23:10 | |
| Then we had two individuals, 2 staff people picking up. | 00:23:18 | |
| Well, the workload for those staff. | 00:23:22 | |
| From everybody else who is regional. | 00:23:25 | |
| Was determined as determined by our. | 00:23:28 | |
| Area Extension Director and then she. | 00:23:31 | |
| Spoke with me and shared the details with me. | 00:23:34 | |
| It was not a good use of dollars to fund 2 positions. | 00:23:37 | |
| So we eliminated one of those two staff positions. So now we have. | 00:23:40 | |
| One staff person that is funded by Dodge County. | 00:23:44 | |
| That is. | 00:23:47 | |
| Taking care of administrative support for. | 00:23:48 | |
| All of our extension staff from the UW Extension. | 00:23:51 | |
| We have a 4H person that is. | 00:23:54 | |
| All here. | 00:23:57 | |
| But everybody else in that office covers multiple counties. | 00:23:59 | |
| And for the most part, their demands on existing staff are minimal. | 00:24:02 | |
| So that was that's. | 00:24:07 | |
| The drivers. | 00:24:09 | |
| Supervisor Cuckoo burger to. | 00:24:11 | |
| Why we ended up where we did with extension? | 00:24:13 | |
| Go ahead, Dave. | 00:24:21 | |
| Hello. | 00:24:23 | |
| Did the committee that overseas the unit extension agree with all of these changes? | 00:24:24 | |
| Or discuss them at any of their meetings. | 00:24:29 | |
| What? What was the question again? | 00:24:35 | |
| The committee that overseas the UW extension, did they review these same proposed changes and agree with all of them? | 00:24:36 | |
| Or were they not consulted? | 00:24:44 | |
| Andrew OK, Yes, yes, we were consulted and this happened over a period of years. This didn't happen. | 00:24:46 | |
| One day. | 00:24:53 | |
| The fair, we have been working on that. I think our meetings started about 2 1/2 years ago, something like that, right when you | 00:24:54 | |
| came on board. | 00:24:57 | |
| We transitioned out of the fair. That was about half the person's time I think that we had employed. So, so that was and finally | 00:25:01 | |
| we made the final switch. | 00:25:05 | |
| We used to provide like the software. | 00:25:09 | |
| We did a lot for the fair and then we still. | 00:25:11 | |
| We give. | 00:25:15 | |
| Money to the fair, the county, the county does give them money, but we no longer participate in like. | 00:25:15 | |
| The judging. | 00:25:21 | |
| Contests. | 00:25:23 | |
| We don't. | 00:25:25 | |
| Administer their software. | 00:25:26 | |
| And so that took up more than half that person's time in the desk. So we do have one person down there. And yes, we were. The | 00:25:29 | |
| committee is very aware of this over the last 2 1/2 years. | 00:25:34 | |
| As far as the. | 00:25:40 | |
| The SNAP ones we had, no, we had no say in that. That was federal coming down. There was 92 people that go statewide to happen to | 00:25:41 | |
| work for our county. That's just a direct federal. | 00:25:47 | |
| Thing that we had, we had no say in that. The committee was made aware of that, but we had no say in that. | 00:25:54 | |
| Far as a community development position. | 00:25:59 | |
| I think, and I haven't talked to Cameron lately about it, but I think our long term plan is to. | 00:26:02 | |
| Bring that back inhabit combined with our economic development, I think that's our long term plan. I don't know. I haven't talked | 00:26:07 | |
| to you about it lately. | 00:26:11 | |
| The thought is using the expertise. | 00:26:15 | |
| How to say this? | 00:26:20 | |
| It it it just didn't fit. | 00:26:22 | |
| The way what what happened, it didn't fit right and we had to make a change and in the future I hope to bring that back. | 00:26:24 | |
| That's the best way I can explain it to you, so that is something I would like to see come back. | 00:26:31 | |
| The. | 00:26:36 | |
| As of yesterday, I met with the Dean Martin of the Youth Extension yesterday. | 00:26:37 | |
| And he is. | 00:26:41 | |
| They are fully funding Co funding all the positions so if we bring this person back for example, we would pay half of their | 00:26:43 | |
| salary, not their full salary so it'd be a great deal. | 00:26:48 | |
| For in our economic development for our county and I think Mr. Froelin, I think for years you thought we should utilize that to | 00:26:53 | |
| get a deal and I and I agree that we should bring that back. | 00:26:58 | |
| But we are going ahead. | 00:27:03 | |
| With the we have an AG educator that we share with Dane County covers 2 counties that's will. | 00:27:06 | |
| And I did talk. | 00:27:10 | |
| To the Dean yesterday about. | 00:27:11 | |
| We need the full support of the institute, The Ag Institute, that's a different part of extension we usually don't deal with here, | 00:27:13 | |
| but we're going to deal with it in Dodge County. The Ag Institute are the experts at. | 00:27:18 | |
| The. | 00:27:24 | |
| That specialize in helping crop development and So what he. | 00:27:26 | |
| Gave me yesterday. I told him about our resolution to have a county farm. | 00:27:30 | |
| Test Farm. | 00:27:34 | |
| And I told him about the support of it and how I thought it was critical that the extension. | 00:27:35 | |
| Follows through. | 00:27:42 | |
| With providing the support in addition to will and they did agree they would do that. So we will be having the scientists from the | 00:27:43 | |
| institution. So we're getting. | 00:27:48 | |
| Different services not paying cash you might say. | 00:27:54 | |
| But we are one of the test farms in the state. There's going to be, I think, 10. And so we did get that. And so I feel pretty | 00:27:57 | |
| comfortable about that. It's just that that extension has changed. I appreciate your comments, though. | 00:28:03 | |
| I think extension is awesome. | 00:28:12 | |
| I'm very pro extension. | 00:28:15 | |
| And I think we've got a really good team. | 00:28:17 | |
| The extension so you kind of know where the state's going. They might even and I haven't even talked to Karen this just. | 00:28:20 | |
| Came yesterday. He doesn't know this. | 00:28:26 | |
| But they might even be sharing a cooperative secretarial help with technology. You know, they're the extension may be in multiple | 00:28:27 | |
| counties with the same they're they're changing too. And so I don't know what's going to come down the road, but they're they're. | 00:28:34 | |
| They're committed to. | 00:28:42 | |
| Maintain the services the best they can. We are going to get another AED. | 00:28:44 | |
| Probably in January, February, they are hiring one for us. They're they're Aeds are their structures is going to be slightly | 00:28:50 | |
| different. But overall a very supportive. And so anyway, I'm very bullish on what we're doing here. And so it appears on paper | 00:28:57 | |
| maybe that we've cut down, but we may in a year or two be asking you to bring one of them back. So don't be surprised. | 00:29:03 | |
| Yeah, it is true though, we really did. On paper it looked like we cut a lot, but we probably would be bringing 1 back. | 00:29:10 | |
| But we are getting a benefit and I reminded the extension Deans yesterday that we are looking for a great report. | 00:29:15 | |
| On their involvement in our new farm. | 00:29:22 | |
| There you go, that's the report. | 00:29:25 | |
| Supervisor Steger. | 00:29:28 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:29:30 | |
| What makes this budget difficult? | 00:29:33 | |
| Is because. | 00:29:35 | |
| Last year we had. | 00:29:37 | |
| And last two years we had ARPA money, 17 and a half million dollars. | 00:29:39 | |
| And we could fill in the gaps. | 00:29:43 | |
| With that ARPA money. | 00:29:45 | |
| This year we don't have that. | 00:29:48 | |
| And I agree with supervisor Houchin. | 00:29:51 | |
| Where? | 00:29:54 | |
| That community development. | 00:29:55 | |
| Program was set up when we had that extra money from the ARPA program and that and we had. | 00:29:57 | |
| $2,000,000 that we could put into that. | 00:30:03 | |
| Well, if we're not going to raise taxes. | 00:30:05 | |
| I agree. Then why are we giving money out? | 00:30:08 | |
| One where if we have to borrow money, if we're not going to raise taxes, then I think we should keep that money and put it towards | 00:30:11 | |
| roads. | 00:30:15 | |
| We should also use that interest money from the ARPA. | 00:30:19 | |
| And put it towards roads. | 00:30:22 | |
| There's excess sales tax that carries over. | 00:30:27 | |
| We could use that and put that towards the roads. | 00:30:30 | |
| And I went to that. | 00:30:33 | |
| Conference up in the WCA. Conference up at the Kalahari. | 00:30:35 | |
| And I talked to different counties up there and I went to a session and what they're doing up there in some counties is they want | 00:30:40 | |
| to add a registration fee increase on to the registration fee. | 00:30:46 | |
| And the reason they're doing that is to generate extra money to do your roads. | 00:30:53 | |
| And. | 00:30:58 | |
| It only affects the people that are using the roads. | 00:30:59 | |
| Not just the taxpayers, but the renters and. | 00:31:03 | |
| Everybody else that uses the roads. | 00:31:06 | |
| They pay. | 00:31:08 | |
| A increase on their registration fee. | 00:31:10 | |
| Some colonies got as much as $50 or registration fee. | 00:31:13 | |
| If we just did a $35 increase, it's a one time fee when you. | 00:31:18 | |
| Pull on your register your vehicle. | 00:31:23 | |
| You pay an extra $35 registration fee if we did that. | 00:31:25 | |
| Wanted his supervisors did a little research on it and that would generate an extra 3 and a half million dollars. | 00:31:30 | |
| That we could. | 00:31:37 | |
| Put towards the roads. | 00:31:38 | |
| So that that's the only. | 00:31:40 | |
| Answer that I got if we're not going to borrow money. | 00:31:42 | |
| Do our roads then? | 00:31:45 | |
| What I just said. | 00:31:46 | |
| Our possibilities that we should look into. | 00:31:48 | |
| And the other thing too is raises. | 00:31:51 | |
| I don't like. | 00:31:54 | |
| To pick on our employees because we got good employees working for the county. | 00:31:56 | |
| But the last couple of years we've been given out some pretty good raises. | 00:32:00 | |
| And now this year in the budget, it looks like we're looking at 4 1/2 to 5% raise. | 00:32:04 | |
| And a lot of neighboring colonies are going 2 1/2 percent. | 00:32:10 | |
| So we maybe got to look at that too. One year we maybe have to cut back on. | 00:32:13 | |
| What we give out for races. | 00:32:18 | |
| I don't know what the answer is, but I'm just presenting some of the things that. | 00:32:21 | |
| That where we could generate more money. | 00:32:25 | |
| Towards the. | 00:32:28 | |
| Thank you. | 00:32:30 | |
| Supervisor Beal. | 00:32:31 | |
| Thank you. | 00:32:33 | |
| We've had a lot of talk. | 00:32:36 | |
| The last couple days about Rd. | 00:32:38 | |
| Roads, roads and roads. | 00:32:40 | |
| And we've had a little bit of talk. | 00:32:42 | |
| About. | 00:32:45 | |
| Our radio system upgrade. | 00:32:46 | |
| Which we've already committed money to. | 00:32:48 | |
| Out of the 2026 budget. | 00:32:51 | |
| The one thing I haven't heard? | 00:32:54 | |
| Is anything about our building need? | 00:32:57 | |
| We did. | 00:33:00 | |
| A couple different studies. | 00:33:01 | |
| We know there's issues at the Henry Dodge building. | 00:33:03 | |
| We know that the old jail and old. | 00:33:07 | |
| Sheriff's Office part. | 00:33:10 | |
| Need to be torn down eventually. | 00:33:12 | |
| But it's like that just kind of flew off the the radar. Nobody's talking about that anymore. | 00:33:17 | |
| Until we get in so deep. | 00:33:24 | |
| With our borrowing. | 00:33:27 | |
| That we can't afford to do anything with our building. | 00:33:29 | |
| So that's just a concern I have that we need to keep. | 00:33:33 | |
| All this stuff on our radar and see the big picture, not just get focused in on one area and say. | 00:33:38 | |
| We need to dump all our money into this. | 00:33:44 | |
| And then two years later. | 00:33:48 | |
| We're told we need to do something right now with this building. | 00:33:50 | |
| And now we got to borrow money that. | 00:33:55 | |
| We can't afford to borrow. | 00:33:56 | |
| So I just ask that we all. | 00:33:59 | |
| Be aware and and. | 00:34:01 | |
| Keep all the things. | 00:34:03 | |
| Insight and not just get. | 00:34:05 | |
| Tunnel vision and focus on one thing. | 00:34:07 | |
| Thank you. | 00:34:10 | |
| Supervisor Guckenburger. | 00:34:12 | |
| Thank. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:34:14 | |
| Switching gears a little bit, they. | 00:34:17 | |
| I have a question. What is the? | 00:34:18 | |
| Current unassigned general fund. | 00:34:21 | |
| Balance unassigned. | 00:34:24 | |
| And the second part of that question is going to be? | 00:34:27 | |
| How much does that exceed? | 00:34:31 | |
| Fund balance policy of. | 00:34:33 | |
| 16.7%. | 00:34:35 | |
| Good questions. | 00:34:41 | |
| So. | 00:34:43 | |
| Unassigned. That's the number we were looking at was that. | 00:34:43 | |
| OK. So for unassigned fund balance? | 00:34:46 | |
| I asked Mackenzie about that already. | 00:34:49 | |
| And we're looking at a total. | 00:34:51 | |
| Of 12 million. | 00:34:53 | |
| Well, that's the. | 00:34:55 | |
| That's the. That's the. | 00:34:56 | |
| That's the. | 00:34:58 | |
| Right, the amount over minimums. | 00:34:59 | |
| Make sure that that's clear. Thank you. | 00:35:01 | |
| $12,222,339 that is what our over the minimum amount is. | 00:35:04 | |
| Now of that. | 00:35:10 | |
| We have some. | 00:35:11 | |
| Obligations and. | 00:35:13 | |
| That we expect. | 00:35:14 | |
| Will be needed by the end of the year. | 00:35:16 | |
| Just as we shake out the rest of the year. So if that's the case. | 00:35:18 | |
| I'm comfortable with. | 00:35:22 | |
| More of a number to. | 00:35:24 | |
| To play with, I guess I would say of 10.5 million. | 00:35:26 | |
| But but the fund is. | 00:35:31 | |
| Is a catch. It's. | 00:35:34 | |
| It's there as a buffer for cash flow. So the more that we pull down. | 00:35:36 | |
| The the closer we are to. | 00:35:41 | |
| Just riding by the seat of our pants, that's the policy is as established. | 00:35:43 | |
| We have a minimum there that's meant to help with that. | 00:35:48 | |
| But I'm just saying. | 00:35:52 | |
| That. | 00:35:53 | |
| Go ahead, Dave. Thank you. | 00:35:55 | |
| It makes absolutely zero sense to me. | 00:35:58 | |
| To borrow. | 00:36:01 | |
| $22 million to put in the roads when we have $12 million sitting in the bank. | 00:36:02 | |
| That is above and beyond what is necessary. | 00:36:07 | |
| Buy your own fund balance policy. | 00:36:11 | |
| So you can't justify that. | 00:36:14 | |
| To me. | 00:36:16 | |
| I mean once. | 00:36:17 | |
| If and I know you said that. | 00:36:17 | |
| The the balance was 12 million two. | 00:36:21 | |
| But effectively it's 10/5, so I'm not sure what that 1.7 is. | 00:36:24 | |
| You know, I'd have to dig into the budget I guess and see where it's been applied. | 00:36:29 | |
| And this is. | 00:36:33 | |
| This is not sales tax, correct? | 00:36:34 | |
| Or sales tax fund balance. | 00:36:36 | |
| Sales tax is not included. | 00:36:42 | |
| Correct, correct. | 00:36:45 | |
| 2. | 00:36:51 | |
| It is all right. | 00:36:53 | |
| So effectively we have $12.2 million and I understand you want cash flow, the whole organization. | 00:36:55 | |
| But we, we have the ability to do tax anticipation notes if needed, right? | 00:37:02 | |
| And there will be, and that's certainly much easier than going to bonding. | 00:37:08 | |
| Correct. | 00:37:13 | |
| So I I. | 00:37:15 | |
| Until up and until. | 00:37:18 | |
| We spend on our fund balance policy. I'm going to have a hard time borrowing. | 00:37:21 | |
| $137 million over the next five years. | 00:37:26 | |
| I just tell you that. | 00:37:30 | |
| And it will start. | 00:37:31 | |
| In 26 because that's at least the presentation I had seen. | 00:37:33 | |
| Tuesday. | 00:37:39 | |
| That there was some sort of desire to borrow. | 00:37:40 | |
| 22 plus. | 00:37:43 | |
| Another. | 00:37:44 | |
| Chunk for buildings and radios and stuff like that. | 00:37:45 | |
| So. | 00:37:49 | |
| I understand. | 00:37:53 | |
| But it's. | 00:37:54 | |
| It's it's like boiling a frog. | 00:37:56 | |
| Right. You know. | 00:37:57 | |
| So. | 00:37:59 | |
| Supervisor pre vote. | 00:38:05 | |
| Well, I just wanted to. | 00:38:07 | |
| Talk about roads again and. | 00:38:09 | |
| The $2,000,000 that. | 00:38:11 | |
| Given away for grants. | 00:38:14 | |
| You know, like a supervisor, Steger said. That was. | 00:38:17 | |
| That was then, this is now. | 00:38:21 | |
| And. | 00:38:23 | |
| There's no way we would be discussing. | 00:38:24 | |
| Borrowing $2,000,000 a year to give it away. | 00:38:27 | |
| And. | 00:38:31 | |
| Nobody like the vast majority of people out in Dodge County wouldn't be like. | 00:38:32 | |
| You know, the citizens of Dodge County wouldn't be like, yeah, that's a great idea, Borrow. | 00:38:36 | |
| $2,000,000 so you can give it away. | 00:38:40 | |
| And. | 00:38:42 | |
| No one, or I would say very few. | 00:38:44 | |
| Supervisors in this room. | 00:38:46 | |
| Would support that idea either. | 00:38:48 | |
| So I don't know why we would support. | 00:38:51 | |
| Giving it away. | 00:38:54 | |
| Giving the $2,000,000 away and then saying. | 00:38:55 | |
| We need $2,000,000. | 00:38:58 | |
| For the roads, it's the same thing. | 00:39:00 | |
| If we give the money away first. | 00:39:02 | |
| And then we don't have it to say we need it for roads. | 00:39:04 | |
| And I know we're talking about more than $2,000,000. | 00:39:07 | |
| But it's still $2,000,000. | 00:39:10 | |
| Like if we're giving it away. | 00:39:12 | |
| And we really need it for roads. | 00:39:14 | |
| We shouldn't give it away. And if it's a bad idea to say? | 00:39:17 | |
| Let's borrow money. | 00:39:20 | |
| To give away for grants. | 00:39:22 | |
| Then it's a bad idea to give the money away for grants and then say we need to borrow money for roads. It's the same thing. | 00:39:24 | |
| So if we know. | 00:39:31 | |
| It's a bad idea. We shouldn't. | 00:39:33 | |
| Do it. | 00:39:34 | |
| And I think. | 00:39:35 | |
| The vast majority of at least the people that I have talked to in District 7 and I and I would think it's probably the same way | 00:39:36 | |
| across. | 00:39:39 | |
| All of Dodge County. | 00:39:43 | |
| Wouldn't support that. | 00:39:45 | |
| At all. | 00:39:46 | |
| And if if we think they would or if we think that. | 00:39:47 | |
| Somehow because we're. | 00:39:51 | |
| Listening to the experts or because we've got more secret information? | 00:39:53 | |
| You know this. | 00:39:57 | |
| Kind of. | 00:39:59 | |
| Political Gnosticism or something? | 00:40:00 | |
| Then we're sadly mistaken, or I really think we're really miss miss. | 00:40:03 | |
| Reading the temperature. | 00:40:09 | |
| Of the taxpayers of Dash County. | 00:40:10 | |
| Supervisor Derrick. | 00:40:15 | |
| I could be wrong, but my understanding is that we're not. | 00:40:19 | |
| Dramatically increasing the tax burden. | 00:40:22 | |
| With the proposed budget. | 00:40:24 | |
| And I see. | 00:40:26 | |
| Our administrators saying that's correct. | 00:40:27 | |
| So we're not talking about increasing the tax burden. | 00:40:29 | |
| Even though we're doing municipal finance work. | 00:40:32 | |
| I have mixed feelings I have been advocating. | 00:40:36 | |
| Almost since the day I got on the board as chairman, Frohling knows that I thought we had a ridiculously high. | 00:40:39 | |
| On allocated fund reserve far over a minimums. | 00:40:45 | |
| But. | 00:40:48 | |
| So I wouldn't be. | 00:40:50 | |
| Adverse to spending a little bit of it. | 00:40:51 | |
| However, understand that our stability rating our our bond rating, it's partly dependent on not. | 00:40:53 | |
| Taking huge chunks of your unallocated fund reserves. | 00:41:02 | |
| For recurring expenses like roads, it's like this cheap, easy, quick thing. | 00:41:06 | |
| But that's not what the money's for. | 00:41:11 | |
| That money is for. | 00:41:14 | |
| What happened to all of us? | 00:41:16 | |
| If you were. | 00:41:19 | |
| Around in 2008 and 2009, that Great Recession. | 00:41:20 | |
| And it's also a fur like. | 00:41:24 | |
| You know, minor. | 00:41:27 | |
| Recessions. But when we hit a recession, which happens. | 00:41:28 | |
| You know the. | 00:41:31 | |
| You can't say it's never going to happen as you can almost guarantee it's going to happen. | 00:41:32 | |
| Is just questions when then we have those reserves available? | 00:41:37 | |
| To not hit our taxpayers. | 00:41:41 | |
| Who might already be in trouble? | 00:41:45 | |
| Right. In terms of their own income and their own ability to buy groceries and stuff. And we don't have to hit them with some | 00:41:48 | |
| gigantic. | 00:41:52 | |
| Increase in taxes because we've previously spent down our unallocated fund balance. | 00:41:56 | |
| Which again, even if we did a whole chunk of it, it's not. | 00:42:02 | |
| It's it's kind of frowned upon. I'm not saying it's the only. | 00:42:05 | |
| It's not the only thing that affects the rating, but it is one of them and it's basically. | 00:42:09 | |
| Poor financial planning, right? Let's just take this money because we got it is not financial planning. | 00:42:13 | |
| And so you're like, OK, great, you spend 10 million now you've. | 00:42:19 | |
| Taken all that excess fund reserve and we're right back here. | 00:42:22 | |
| Next year. | 00:42:27 | |
| And now what do we do? | 00:42:28 | |
| Like you're just kicking the can. | 00:42:29 | |
| To the next budget. | 00:42:31 | |
| And and a referendum also kicks the can down because if you have a referendum it takes a year to get that ready and, and we will. | 00:42:32 | |
| Will lose all the benefit of being able to fund the roads sooner. | 00:42:40 | |
| So. | 00:42:45 | |
| I don't. | 00:42:48 | |
| I also have said this before, but the $2,000,000. | 00:42:50 | |
| We have not. | 00:42:54 | |
| As a county in the entire. | 00:42:56 | |
| 10 or how many years I've been on, we have not had sufficient investment in economic development. | 00:42:58 | |
| We have not. And we've outsourced it and we've insourced it and we've done all kinds of things and we. | 00:43:05 | |
| We, you know, we're. | 00:43:11 | |
| Holding people's feet to the fire. They weren't bringing it in. They didn't give us a great plan and this, this economic | 00:43:13 | |
| development plan. | 00:43:17 | |
| It's not a gift. | 00:43:22 | |
| It's a part of an economic development plan is the best thing that I have seen since we started. | 00:43:24 | |
| Because it's actually seed money. | 00:43:30 | |
| So we're not just giving it to them. We're saying you have to meet requirement ABCDEFG and if your project meets that and you need | 00:43:32 | |
| just 5% more to top it off and get that development there, we're there for you. | 00:43:38 | |
| So it's not a gift, it's you meet the requirements. | 00:43:44 | |
| And that development project can happen. | 00:43:47 | |
| And when that happens? | 00:43:50 | |
| More people come to our community. Our tax base is increased, our businesses increased. | 00:43:53 | |
| It is. We'll get far more than that 2 million overtime. | 00:43:59 | |
| And so that is just financially. | 00:44:03 | |
| Not a good thing to do to take the money off of the economic development. | 00:44:06 | |
| Supervisor Gukenberger. | 00:44:13 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:44:15 | |
| It's just a. | 00:44:17 | |
| Biggest bunch of crap I just listened to. | 00:44:19 | |
| And I'm going to correct a bunch of that. | 00:44:22 | |
| OK, we created a fund balance policy. | 00:44:25 | |
| As a board. | 00:44:28 | |
| That said, we will keep. | 00:44:29 | |
| Two months of expenses. | 00:44:31 | |
| Available. | 00:44:33 | |
| What I asked is how much we exceed. | 00:44:35 | |
| That two months. | 00:44:38 | |
| And that's the amount I want to spend. | 00:44:40 | |
| It makes no sense. | 00:44:42 | |
| To keep an extra $12 million in the bank account. | 00:44:44 | |
| So we can make. | 00:44:48 | |
| Potential payments or. | 00:44:50 | |
| Emergencies, we already have two months of expenditures set aside. | 00:44:52 | |
| For all these emergencies that may come up or these. | 00:44:57 | |
| Economic problem? | 00:45:02 | |
| That's good sound policy. | 00:45:04 | |
| Matter of fact, the bond companies are going to look at that and make sure that a, we have a bond, a fund balance policy and. | 00:45:05 | |
| Where do we sit in relationship to that? | 00:45:12 | |
| OK, so. | 00:45:14 | |
| Wrong. | 00:45:18 | |
| I'm going to make another statement though. | 00:45:19 | |
| Because. | 00:45:21 | |
| If if you disagree with this one. | 00:45:22 | |
| I would like to talk to you. | 00:45:25 | |
| But I believe good roads are essential. | 00:45:26 | |
| To economic development. | 00:45:29 | |
| Good roads are essential to economic development. | 00:45:30 | |
| If we have good roads. | 00:45:35 | |
| We can spur economic development just as much. | 00:45:38 | |
| As giving. | 00:45:42 | |
| $150,000 or a quarter $1,000,000 to developers so he can build. | 00:45:43 | |
| 15 homes. | 00:45:48 | |
| We need good roads. | 00:45:50 | |
| Bottom line. | 00:45:52 | |
| I agree completely with everybody else that has said. | 00:45:54 | |
| Why would we give $2,000,000 away? | 00:45:58 | |
| When we have. | 00:46:01 | |
| Urgent needs. | 00:46:02 | |
| Right here. | 00:46:03 | |
| Our roads are important to economic development. | 00:46:06 | |
| Just as much as everything else. | 00:46:09 | |
| And I have a hard time. | 00:46:11 | |
| As Roger says. | 00:46:13 | |
| You, you know. | 00:46:15 | |
| We have to borrow money. | 00:46:16 | |
| To do our roads. | 00:46:18 | |
| In the meantime, we stuck 2 million in this budget. | 00:46:20 | |
| To just. | 00:46:23 | |
| Give it away. | 00:46:25 | |
| I'm sorry we aren't giving it away. Sure, we have terms and conditions. | 00:46:26 | |
| But we are giving it away. | 00:46:31 | |
| In the meantime. | 00:46:34 | |
| Our roads are getting worse by the day. | 00:46:35 | |
| And we should. | 00:46:39 | |
| Put the emphasis and the priority on the roads, because good roads. | 00:46:40 | |
| Are good economic. | 00:46:44 | |
| Development. They're essential for it. | 00:46:47 | |
| Thank you. | 00:46:50 | |
| Supervisor Keel. | 00:46:52 | |
| Thank you. | 00:46:56 | |
| I just would like to add also on page 12 when we talk about. | 00:46:57 | |
| Fund balance and applying. | 00:47:01 | |
| That the last two columns. | 00:47:04 | |
| Before the totals. | 00:47:07 | |
| Do show a fund balance. | 00:47:09 | |
| Being applied. I just want to make that. | 00:47:11 | |
| Statement. | 00:47:15 | |
| For everyone's awareness. | 00:47:16 | |
| I'm not. | 00:47:19 | |
| Sure, all the details, but you can see that they're both is carry forward. | 00:47:20 | |
| And fund balance applied and I think it might be. | 00:47:25 | |
| Larger than it has been in the past. | 00:47:29 | |
| But administration hasn't provided like. | 00:47:32 | |
| What they're projecting? | 00:47:37 | |
| From. | 00:47:39 | |
| Current year activities 2025. | 00:47:40 | |
| That may generate. | 00:47:43 | |
| More fund balance. | 00:47:46 | |
| General fund balance. | 00:47:48 | |
| At this point. | 00:47:49 | |
| But at least you can see there's. | 00:47:51 | |
| 3.8 million being applied and carry. | 00:47:53 | |
| Forward. | 00:47:57 | |
| Fund balance of 3.4. | 00:47:58 | |
| Supervisor. | 00:48:03 | |
| Thank you. I want to thank everybody for. | 00:48:05 | |
| For a discussion. | 00:48:08 | |
| Because sometimes we lack discussion. I appreciate that everybody's. | 00:48:09 | |
| Chiming in and getting giving some ideas because that's good for us. | 00:48:13 | |
| I do. | 00:48:19 | |
| Think about. | 00:48:22 | |
| Economic development. | 00:48:23 | |
| And if we borrow money, that's like I was thinking. | 00:48:25 | |
| If I want to, I'd like to be in the stock market, have good money in the stock market, so I'll go borrow $2,000,000 to put in the | 00:48:28 | |
| stock market. | 00:48:31 | |
| It doesn't work that way. | 00:48:35 | |
| You know you have to have it. | 00:48:37 | |
| And if we don't have it that I'm not going to play, play the stock market. | 00:48:38 | |
| We don't have. | 00:48:42 | |
| The $2,000,000 that we need so. | 00:48:45 | |
| Let's do it. I agree with Dave that maybe we should take some of this money out of. | 00:48:47 | |
| This $10.5 million. | 00:48:51 | |
| Wouldn't it be great if we could? | 00:48:54 | |
| Do more than the 22. | 00:48:56 | |
| But even if we didn't take all 10.5. | 00:49:00 | |
| We still have that 2 million from Community development. | 00:49:04 | |
| And then I think we. | 00:49:07 | |
| And I agree, we have great employees. | 00:49:09 | |
| But maybe we should look at. | 00:49:11 | |
| They're getting a 5.1. | 00:49:14 | |
| 4% raise this year. | 00:49:16 | |
| If you count the January 1. | 00:49:18 | |
| And the July. | 00:49:21 | |
| Race. Nobody in the county is getting that, I don't think. | 00:49:22 | |
| Maybe, maybe we could. | 00:49:26 | |
| Cut back a little on the. | 00:49:28 | |
| 2.5. | 00:49:29 | |
| The July 1 Maybe we could. | 00:49:31 | |
| I mean, we're already. | 00:49:34 | |
| Doing a lot of other things for them. We're paying 5% more for their their portion of the health insurance. So it matched. | 00:49:35 | |
| What the sworn unions were doing. | 00:49:42 | |
| We pay their deductible for their health insurance. | 00:49:44 | |
| We're doing all that so. | 00:49:48 | |
| You know, I think. | 00:49:50 | |
| Everybody's going to feel the pinch. Just Skyke. | 00:49:51 | |
| The citizens are feeling the pinch. We've you've got to do something. So I think there's money in this budget if we really look at | 00:49:54 | |
| it and can we make. | 00:49:58 | |
| Any decisions today? | 00:50:02 | |
| For the. | 00:50:05 | |
| Administrator to look at something to bring something. | 00:50:06 | |
| Or is is this just talk tonight? | 00:50:09 | |
| Yeah, I believe it's just discussion tonight, but the administrator should be taking notes and. | 00:50:11 | |
| And looking at that and the. | 00:50:18 | |
| We as board members should be looking at. | 00:50:21 | |
| Possibility of bored of. | 00:50:24 | |
| Budget amendments. | 00:50:26 | |
| To bring forward. | 00:50:27 | |
| So. | 00:50:29 | |
| Is Supervisor Burbus. | 00:50:31 | |
| As you all know I'm very new here the. | 00:50:35 | |
| The point that. | 00:50:38 | |
| I would just wanted to bring up is that I work for, you know, a larger company in Madison. | 00:50:39 | |
| And historically over the last. | 00:50:45 | |
| Four to five years, it's an insurance company and over the last four to five years it's been in. | 00:50:48 | |
| A situation where. | 00:50:54 | |
| You know, profits aren't as great. We're losing money we don't have, you know, with money to move forward with. And we've gone | 00:50:55 | |
| through multiple rounds of eliminations of people. | 00:50:59 | |
| They're looking at multiple options and. | 00:51:04 | |
| Annually, we typically are lucky to get a 2% raise. | 00:51:06 | |
| Or maybe a three? | 00:51:11 | |
| So I think that the the. | 00:51:13 | |
| The the raise. | 00:51:15 | |
| Option. | 00:51:17 | |
| That Dodge County offers is very generous, and perhaps there might be an opportunity to. | 00:51:18 | |
| To take some of that, at least in the short term. | 00:51:23 | |
| Given the situation that we're facing this year. | 00:51:27 | |
| Thank you. | 00:51:30 | |
| Supervisor. | 00:51:32 | |
| Thank. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:51:33 | |
| I have a couple questions I guess, or at least one question. | 00:51:36 | |
| Over what span of time have we accumulated? | 00:51:40 | |
| This 10.5 million. | 00:51:43 | |
| In excess of. | 00:51:45 | |
| General fund balance. | 00:51:47 | |
| So. | 00:51:57 | |
| That. | 00:51:58 | |
| You know, every year we can go back and look at audits, but. | 00:51:59 | |
| That is a steadily. | 00:52:02 | |
| Steadily growing or. | 00:52:04 | |
| Steadily. | 00:52:06 | |
| Constant. | 00:52:07 | |
| Amount of money. | 00:52:09 | |
| In fact, in the last few years. | 00:52:11 | |
| We have done more applying a fund balance I think than. | 00:52:13 | |
| I don't know what it was like before I arrived, but when I look at fund balance amounts. | 00:52:17 | |
| And there's some of that will be. | 00:52:22 | |
| Wasn't available for tonight, but we'll have at the finance. | 00:52:24 | |
| Probably 2 executive committees on Monday. | 00:52:29 | |
| You'll be able to. You'll be able to see that. | 00:52:32 | |
| We in multiple years we have. | 00:52:34 | |
| Taken a significant chunk of that fund balance and applied it. | 00:52:37 | |
| So. | 00:52:41 | |
| I can't give you a specific. | 00:52:43 | |
| Reason for or. | 00:52:45 | |
| Date certain when we started to increase the fund balance, I don't have that. | 00:52:47 | |
| But just know that it's it's been a constant, so it's part of. | 00:52:51 | |
| Our operations. | 00:52:55 | |
| Either conservatively estimating anticipated revenues and expenses. | 00:52:56 | |
| Well, that's primarily it, so. | 00:53:02 | |
| I will say that I've been here quite a while. | 00:53:05 | |
| And. | 00:53:08 | |
| Historically. | 00:53:10 | |
| We would. | 00:53:11 | |
| Use fund balance in our budget. | 00:53:13 | |
| But. | 00:53:17 | |
| Normally at year end. | 00:53:18 | |
| We replace that much back to the fund balance. | 00:53:20 | |
| At year end. So it's been a wash and. | 00:53:24 | |
| And it's been a steady. | 00:53:26 | |
| Gradual. | 00:53:28 | |
| Increase. | 00:53:29 | |
| Some of the discussion. | 00:53:31 | |
| About. | 00:53:33 | |
| Using. | 00:53:34 | |
| Fund balance. | 00:53:35 | |
| Just remind the board that a few years ago we funded Hwy. shops. | 00:53:38 | |
| Out of our. | 00:53:43 | |
| Investments from our fund balance. | 00:53:45 | |
| And. | 00:53:47 | |
| The. | 00:53:48 | |
| Bond rating companies. | 00:53:49 | |
| Approved that and said it was a good plan. | 00:53:52 | |
| But you had to have. | 00:53:56 | |
| Treat it like a loan and have a plan for. | 00:53:58 | |
| Putting the money back into fund balance. | 00:54:01 | |
| So that. | 00:54:04 | |
| It can be done. | 00:54:05 | |
| But there are some. | 00:54:08 | |
| And if you don't want to ruin your. | 00:54:09 | |
| Your mind rating you need to do some. | 00:54:12 | |
| It's not. Just take it and use it. | 00:54:14 | |
| So. | 00:54:16 | |
| Anyone else? | 00:54:19 | |
| Supervisor Breslow. | 00:54:24 | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 00:54:25 | |
| I guess that kind of answers my question and. | 00:54:28 | |
| Just was. | 00:54:31 | |
| Curious. So our fund balance? | 00:54:32 | |
| The excess of 10.5. | 00:54:35 | |
| Has been. | 00:54:36 | |
| Accumulating gradually it's. | 00:54:38 | |
| Overtime, yes. OK, so and then my other thing is also I. | 00:54:41 | |
| I agree with some of the folks that are commenting on the wages. | 00:54:45 | |
| I I definitely do appreciate. | 00:54:50 | |
| Our staff and our employees of the county, but. | 00:54:52 | |
| We are not a profit generating business. | 00:54:56 | |
| Whereas we can say. | 00:55:00 | |
| OK. We're going to give our employees. | 00:55:02 | |
| Six, 7%. | 00:55:05 | |
| Well, we'll just. | 00:55:07 | |
| Increase what we charge. | 00:55:08 | |
| We can't do that. | 00:55:10 | |
| We're not a profit generating business. | 00:55:12 | |
| We have to operate or try to within our means. | 00:55:15 | |
| And. | 00:55:18 | |
| I think we've been more than generous. | 00:55:20 | |
| And that may not be popular. | 00:55:24 | |
| With some people, but. | 00:55:26 | |
| We can't just. | 00:55:29 | |
| Keep giving away the farm. | 00:55:30 | |
| When we don't have a way. | 00:55:31 | |
| To recoup that money. | 00:55:33 | |
| Other than. | 00:55:35 | |
| Going through the taxpayer and saying, hey, we're going to borrow 22 million. | 00:55:36 | |
| And you're going to pay for it. | 00:55:40 | |
| Thank you. | 00:55:42 | |
| You, you you want to speak. | 00:55:46 | |
| Yes, Mr. Chairman. | 00:55:48 | |
| All right. Just I wanted to clarify a few different things and make sure people are aware. | 00:55:50 | |
| I too appreciate. | 00:55:55 | |
| That you're having this discussion because it's very important that you do. | 00:55:57 | |
| The. | 00:56:00 | |
| The first is. | 00:56:01 | |
| That in this year's budget. | 00:56:03 | |
| Currently. | 00:56:05 | |
| We have no debt. | 00:56:06 | |
| No recommendation for borrowing money. There's no dollars set aside. | 00:56:09 | |
| From. | 00:56:13 | |
| Or there's no plan that would ultimately result in raising a tax in any way. | 00:56:14 | |
| Beyond. | 00:56:20 | |
| For debt service? | 00:56:21 | |
| So we're just dealing with the same tax increases that we've done every year. | 00:56:22 | |
| That are truly at this point. | 00:56:27 | |
| Dictated by. | 00:56:29 | |
| The the state. | 00:56:30 | |
| In terms of their the limit on what we can increase our budget, which does. | 00:56:31 | |
| Get outpaced by inflation. | 00:56:36 | |
| So when you're talking tonight, I think this is. | 00:56:40 | |
| Most of you are aware, but just to be make sure it's clear we're talking about. | 00:56:43 | |
| What to do? | 00:56:47 | |
| For the unfunded items in the capital improvement plan, which was approved. | 00:56:48 | |
| So currently our fund balance. | 00:56:52 | |
| General fund balance, we have applied the $1.5 million necessary. | 00:56:55 | |
| To pay the employees. | 00:57:00 | |
| Of the of the highway department. | 00:57:02 | |
| And do. | 00:57:05 | |
| Very small things all year. There would be no none of the capital. | 00:57:06 | |
| None of the capital. | 00:57:10 | |
| Projects, but for those that. | 00:57:12 | |
| Were actually approved in the capital plan and presented as funded. | 00:57:14 | |
| Would be funded. | 00:57:18 | |
| But we. | 00:57:19 | |
| We have, we have worked for our people to do. | 00:57:20 | |
| But. | 00:57:23 | |
| It's coming at a cost from our fund balance if we don't. | 00:57:24 | |
| Come up with another way to fund things. | 00:57:27 | |
| When we talk about. | 00:57:30 | |
| Financing. | 00:57:31 | |
| A projects. | 00:57:34 | |
| There's yes, this would have an immediate impact because it. | 00:57:36 | |
| It creates an obligation. | 00:57:39 | |
| But it doesn't. | 00:57:41 | |
| Have to, nor does it. | 00:57:43 | |
| By necessity. | 00:57:45 | |
| Require anything in 2026 it would really only be impacting. | 00:57:47 | |
| A levy tax levy in 2027. | 00:57:52 | |
| So that's important to note. | 00:57:56 | |
| Also though I will tell you. | 00:57:58 | |
| Bond issues. | 00:58:01 | |
| For long term long living capital projects. | 00:58:03 | |
| Such as streets. | 00:58:07 | |
| Or buildings. | 00:58:09 | |
| Or we've discussed radio towers. | 00:58:10 | |
| Is a very common practice. It's a best practice. | 00:58:13 | |
| For how to effectively manage your assets. | 00:58:16 | |
| It's much like. | 00:58:21 | |
| When we buy things on our own. | 00:58:23 | |
| In our own home, for our own. | 00:58:25 | |
| Family or? | 00:58:27 | |
| In a business. | 00:58:28 | |
| That we work for a for profit company. | 00:58:30 | |
| Much like that. | 00:58:32 | |
| We invest. | 00:58:34 | |
| In assets that we need to move forward. | 00:58:35 | |
| Unlike those. | 00:58:38 | |
| Businesses. | 00:58:39 | |
| Where ultimately the debt? | 00:58:40 | |
| Is tied to an individual or a company. | 00:58:43 | |
| The debt in a public entity. | 00:58:47 | |
| Is tied to the asset. | 00:58:49 | |
| And the people residing in the jurisdiction. | 00:58:51 | |
| At the time the debt is called. | 00:58:53 | |
| So every year. | 00:58:55 | |
| People move in and out of Dodge County. | 00:58:57 | |
| Every year. | 00:58:59 | |
| People would be coming in and using these assets and other people would be leaving. | 00:59:00 | |
| That, uh. | 00:59:04 | |
| Aren't using those assets. | 00:59:05 | |
| When you implement a program that is pay as you go. | 00:59:07 | |
| You only buy when you have cash on hand. | 00:59:11 | |
| Which means. | 00:59:15 | |
| We are all of us saving up and buying the asset. | 00:59:15 | |
| Not necessarily the ones that use it. | 00:59:19 | |
| Because other people in the future will use it. | 00:59:22 | |
| And we might. | 00:59:24 | |
| Move away. | 00:59:25 | |
| Pay as you use. | 00:59:27 | |
| Financing. | 00:59:29 | |
| Is. | 00:59:30 | |
| Strictly for. | 00:59:31 | |
| These types of assets. | 00:59:32 | |
| Roads. Buildings. | 00:59:34 | |
| The towers we talked about. | 00:59:35 | |
| That the way that that is managed so that the people using it. | 00:59:37 | |
| Also pay for it. | 00:59:42 | |
| Is. | 00:59:43 | |
| To have it. | 00:59:44 | |
| Financed upfront. | 00:59:45 | |
| And paid for while it is being used for the life of that asset or. | 00:59:47 | |
| Paid up sooner. We don't have to take 20 years to pay it off. | 00:59:52 | |
| So just. | 00:59:56 | |
| Just so that. | 00:59:58 | |
| You're aware this? | 00:59:59 | |
| This is what? | 01:00:00 | |
| Public entities. | 01:00:02 | |
| Do it is it is incredibly. | 01:00:03 | |
| Common and widespread throughout any and all municipalities. | 01:00:06 | |
| Other than towns. | 01:00:10 | |
| And I think even in towns. | 01:00:12 | |
| It's also very common among counties. | 01:00:14 | |
| So. | 01:00:17 | |
| Just be be aware of that please. The other the last thing I guess, let me look at my notes. | 01:00:19 | |
| Make sure. | 01:00:25 | |
| I have it all. | 01:00:27 | |
| This was mentioned but just to restate clarify. | 01:00:30 | |
| Maybe a little bit the more fund balance we have. | 01:00:32 | |
| The better we look to a bond rating entity. | 01:00:35 | |
| The better we look to a bond rating entity. | 01:00:38 | |
| The cheaper the cost of money. | 01:00:40 | |
| So. | 01:00:42 | |
| When we do take away, we. | 01:00:44 | |
| And and reduce that amount, which is totally fine. | 01:00:45 | |
| It's it's I've I've given you the budget. | 01:00:48 | |
| It's your budget now. | 01:00:51 | |
| So if that's something that the county board wants to do. | 01:00:53 | |
| That's quite alright, and. | 01:00:56 | |
| And with what Supervisor Guggenberger had had mentioned, maybe there is. | 01:00:57 | |
| Some wiggle room before that would have a negative impact on our bond rating. | 01:01:03 | |
| But uh. | 01:01:06 | |
| It's something to be noting and be careful of. | 01:01:08 | |
| The. | 01:01:11 | |
| Regarding the wages. | 01:01:12 | |
| The 2.64%. | 01:01:14 | |
| Is an adjustment. | 01:01:16 | |
| 2 wages. | 01:01:17 | |
| That is an adjustment to the entire wage schedule. | 01:01:18 | |
| So it's not specific to anyone individual. | 01:01:22 | |
| And it is tied to the consumer price index, so it's meant to be tied to inflation. | 01:01:25 | |
| To keep wages. | 01:01:30 | |
| At or relatively close within within. | 01:01:32 | |
| 100 to 80 to 100% of the market rate. | 01:01:35 | |
| For a wage. | 01:01:39 | |
| And that. | 01:01:40 | |
| Market rate we measure on step #5 which? | 01:01:40 | |
| Most in most cases someone is here depending on their experience. Sometimes they start higher than step one because of what | 01:01:44 | |
| they've done or accumulated an expertise somewhere else. | 01:01:49 | |
| But. | 01:01:53 | |
| People typically start somewhere between step one and Step 3, so you're looking at. | 01:01:55 | |
| Two to five years of time. | 01:02:00 | |
| That an individual is getting those. | 01:02:02 | |
| Those steps. | 01:02:04 | |
| That's. | 01:02:08 | |
| All those steps below the Step 5. | 01:02:10 | |
| Lower than market? | 01:02:12 | |
| 5 is the market. | 01:02:13 | |
| When we talk about the 2.5%. | 01:02:15 | |
| It's it's not. | 01:02:18 | |
| Accurate to. | 01:02:20 | |
| Add those together. | 01:02:21 | |
| Is never with me. Did I say that? | 01:02:23 | |
| Clear enough? | 01:02:25 | |
| Um, so the 2.64%. | 01:02:26 | |
| Is the whole schedule. | 01:02:29 | |
| Tied to inflation. | 01:02:30 | |
| Tied to the CPI. | 01:02:32 | |
| With with the state, with Employment Relations Commission. | 01:02:33 | |
| The 2 1/2 percent is a step. | 01:02:36 | |
| And it is only for people who have been here. | 01:02:38 | |
| For more than five years. | 01:02:41 | |
| So generally. | 01:02:43 | |
| Some that may have started on a higher step. | 01:02:44 | |
| Might be here less than five years. | 01:02:47 | |
| But it's only for those people that otherwise. | 01:02:49 | |
| Would not get that step change. | 01:02:51 | |
| So anybody that is below Step 5. | 01:02:53 | |
| Regardless of discussion here, unless you change the policy for how we do wages. | 01:02:56 | |
| And and raises. | 01:03:01 | |
| Unless you did that, everybody below Step 5 is getting that raise. | 01:03:02 | |
| In addition to. | 01:03:07 | |
| The 2.64%. | 01:03:08 | |
| People above that. | 01:03:11 | |
| Step 5. | 01:03:13 | |
| They don't get anything. | 01:03:14 | |
| In addition to the 2.6. | 01:03:16 | |
| Six, 4%. | 01:03:18 | |
| Unless. | 01:03:19 | |
| You all approve it. | 01:03:20 | |
| So when we're talking about. | 01:03:22 | |
| I I bring this up because. | 01:03:24 | |
| I've heard 5% or or. | 01:03:26 | |
| Other other figures. | 01:03:29 | |
| That's only accurate. | 01:03:31 | |
| For a very few. | 01:03:33 | |
| It's not accurate for the whole. | 01:03:35 | |
| The 2.64 is for the whole. | 01:03:37 | |
| The 2.5 is. | 01:03:38 | |
| A portion of all of our employees. | 01:03:41 | |
| And. | 01:03:43 | |
| That is all. Thank you, Mr. Chair. | 01:03:45 | |
| Supervisor. | 01:03:47 | |
| I just got one quick question. | 01:03:51 | |
| Um. | 01:03:54 | |
| Would urinalysis be that our bond rating would be? | 01:03:57 | |
| Worse. | 01:04:02 | |
| If we borrowed money. | 01:04:04 | |
| Then if we paid for it out of our. | 01:04:08 | |
| Fund balance. | 01:04:11 | |
| No, no, no. | 01:04:13 | |
| I don't think so. | 01:04:15 | |
| What I'm saying, what I'm saying is, it seems common sense to me that if we pay for. | 01:04:17 | |
| Something and we don't borrow. | 01:04:21 | |
| That our bond or anything should be better, correct? | 01:04:24 | |
| The the limiting factor, they tell us, is the average. | 01:04:28 | |
| Household income in the county. | 01:04:34 | |
| That everything we have done. | 01:04:37 | |
| Has taken us as high as we can go. | 01:04:40 | |
| As a as a county board. | 01:04:43 | |
| So it's a general economic. | 01:04:45 | |
| Situation in the county. | 01:04:49 | |
| That is the deciding factor what the limit is. | 01:04:52 | |
| For your bind rating. | 01:04:56 | |
| We we carry very little debt, so the market tends to. | 01:04:59 | |
| Like. | 01:05:05 | |
| Finding more than somebody with our with the same. | 01:05:07 | |
| Bond rating because we have so little debt. | 01:05:11 | |
| And that's kind of what I'm getting at. I mean, if we pay for it instead of borrowing, shouldn't? | 01:05:14 | |
| Shouldn't our our status be better for? | 01:05:18 | |
| The bond rating. | 01:05:21 | |
| It should, but it doesn't seem to do. | 01:05:22 | |
| All right. | 01:05:26 | |
| Yeah. | 01:05:29 | |
| Our computer up here decided we were done a few minutes ago. So I think we're we're coming back on. So let's let's try. Go ahead. | 01:05:37 | |
| Kathy, I think I turned you on there. Thank you. | 01:05:42 | |
| A couple questions for Mr. Clapper. | 01:05:47 | |
| In one statement, the statement is. | 01:05:50 | |
| That you said that no one would have to pay. | 01:05:53 | |
| Until 27. | 01:05:56 | |
| And to me, that's just like getting one year, no interest. | 01:05:58 | |
| And I don't think I want to go there. | 01:06:02 | |
| Because because your interest does come and it does go back on how much. | 01:06:05 | |
| You didn't pay along the way. It's one year. No, it's not one year, no interest. It's one year, no payment. | 01:06:09 | |
| Right, because the interest is still accumulating so. | 01:06:15 | |
| I I think that we need to remember that. | 01:06:19 | |
| Interest is growing every day. | 01:06:22 | |
| #2 when you said that. | 01:06:24 | |
| The second raises only for people. | 01:06:27 | |
| On Step 5. | 01:06:30 | |
| Do you mean 678910 also? | 01:06:32 | |
| We don't have a 678910, we have a big range. | 01:06:35 | |
| That's open between 5:00 and the top. | 01:06:39 | |
| And that used to be a merit based system. | 01:06:43 | |
| We no longer have the merit based system. | 01:06:47 | |
| But we still. | 01:06:50 | |
| In every budget. | 01:06:51 | |
| Bring forward. | 01:06:53 | |
| A proposal for what would a step increase for people in that area? | 01:06:54 | |
| Look like and that's why we brought forth a 2.5. It's the. The 2.5 is the same. | 01:06:58 | |
| Gap I guess. | 01:07:04 | |
| Generally between the other steps. | 01:07:05 | |
| But there's no specific step in that. | 01:07:07 | |
| So can you tell me how much money? | 01:07:09 | |
| That. | 01:07:12 | |
| Raise itself is going to cost. | 01:07:13 | |
| I can't off the top of my head, but I know that we have that number. | 01:07:16 | |
| So, Mackenzie, if you could. | 01:07:19 | |
| I'm looking for right now just one second. | 01:07:33 | |
| So it would be a difference of 113,405. | 01:07:45 | |
| I'm with. | 01:07:50 | |
| Pardon, it would be a difference of 113,405. | 01:07:52 | |
| OK. Thank you. | 01:07:56 | |
| It's forever after there. | 01:08:05 | |
| Supervisor Presble. | 01:08:09 | |
| They can't. Excuse me. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | 01:08:10 | |
| I guess I have a question. | 01:08:15 | |
| This second step. | 01:08:17 | |
| Why is this not merit? | 01:08:19 | |
| Beast everybody that's paying these wages. | 01:08:22 | |
| In their taxes. | 01:08:27 | |
| Whether it be? | 01:08:28 | |
| Property taxes or. | 01:08:30 | |
| Through. | 01:08:32 | |
| Money that comes in from the state. | 01:08:33 | |
| All government money. | 01:08:35 | |
| Is the people's money. | 01:08:37 | |
| So why? | 01:08:39 | |
| Why aren't these merit based? | 01:08:40 | |
| I mean, it's crazy, the people. | 01:08:42 | |
| That are paying for these raises. | 01:08:45 | |
| They get their increases based on their merit. | 01:08:47 | |
| Or their efficiencies in their operations if they're business people? | 01:08:50 | |
| Why would the people? | 01:08:54 | |
| For paying the bill. | 01:08:56 | |
| Have to do it on merit. | 01:08:58 | |
| And not the people that are getting it. | 01:09:00 | |
| I will. I will tell you the. | 01:09:02 | |
| Problems we had with it was that. | 01:09:04 | |
| Different supervisors. | 01:09:08 | |
| Evaluated. | 01:09:10 | |
| Differently so. | 01:09:11 | |
| Merit base wasn't being done. | 01:09:13 | |
| Fairly on. | 01:09:17 | |
| Merritt. | 01:09:18 | |
| That was our issue. | 01:09:20 | |
| Well, I I would question then. | 01:09:22 | |
| Why were those supervisors still supervisors if they had an inability to be fair with their employees? | 01:09:25 | |
| Yeah, you know you're. | 01:09:33 | |
| I mean, honestly, we have, we have an administrator here that's. | 01:09:35 | |
| If it was going to. | 01:09:39 | |
| If you're going to do that. | 01:09:40 | |
| The administrator would have to evaluate every employee, which is. | 01:09:42 | |
| Not feasible. | 01:09:46 | |
| If you're, you'd have to have one person evaluate everybody. | 01:09:48 | |
| Well, because it's going to be hard, we won't do it. | 01:09:51 | |
| I mean, we're sitting here. | 01:09:55 | |
| Trying to figure out where we're coming up with money for this stuff, and that's not easy. | 01:09:58 | |
| I mean, just because something's hard doesn't mean we don't do it. | 01:10:03 | |
| If I if I thank you. | 01:10:10 | |
| So. | 01:10:12 | |
| A very reasonable question, and one that I've. | 01:10:14 | |
| Supervisor Brazil, I've heard before. | 01:10:17 | |
| Well, here and elsewhere. | 01:10:19 | |
| A couple things to share. | 01:10:21 | |
| The first is. | 01:10:23 | |
| There are lots of ways to address performance that each of our supervisors and department directors is expected to. | 01:10:25 | |
| To do. | 01:10:30 | |
| And to manage. | 01:10:31 | |
| So. | 01:10:33 | |
| With that in mind. | 01:10:34 | |
| The the the. | 01:10:37 | |
| The need for merit pay. | 01:10:39 | |
| As a means of promoting performance. | 01:10:42 | |
| Is not. | 01:10:45 | |
| Necessary. | 01:10:47 | |
| To be able to draw out performance. | 01:10:48 | |
| In a private entity. | 01:10:51 | |
| Private organization where you don't have to publish your wages and you don't have to tell each other what everybody's making. | 01:10:52 | |
| It's a little bit easier than. | 01:10:59 | |
| To have a system like that, I think overall. | 01:11:01 | |
| A merit based system is ideal. | 01:11:03 | |
| But when you live in or when you operate out of a public entity where everybody can see everybody else's wages. | 01:11:05 | |
| When you'd have that. | 01:11:13 | |
| It's very difficult because there's no absolutely objective system. | 01:11:15 | |
| And there will always be some level of subjectivity. | 01:11:19 | |
| On the part of the supervisors. | 01:11:23 | |
| So in addition to the load that it. | 01:11:25 | |
| It places on. | 01:11:27 | |
| Human Resources at the administrator to follow up. | 01:11:29 | |
| I would just. | 01:11:33 | |
| Suggest. | 01:11:34 | |
| And my decision, my opinion. | 01:11:35 | |
| That's not an effective use of our time. Better is. | 01:11:37 | |
| Requiring our department directors to manage employees every day of the year. | 01:11:40 | |
| And then when they have their annual performance meetings with those employees. | 01:11:45 | |
| It becomes a coaching session. | 01:11:48 | |
| Where the employee can learn from the experience. | 01:11:51 | |
| And improve performance. | 01:11:53 | |
| Rather than everybody coming in. | 01:11:55 | |
| Very tentious and. | 01:11:57 | |
| All about. | 01:11:59 | |
| What's my raise gonna be next year? | 01:12:00 | |
| And that's those are the 2 problems the what's my raise going to be next year? | 01:12:02 | |
| And the fact that everybody sees everybody else's money. | 01:12:06 | |
| And what they're making. | 01:12:09 | |
| Make merit pay systems very difficult to do successfully. | 01:12:10 | |
| In local governments. | 01:12:14 | |
| And and in an organization this size. | 01:12:15 | |
| Where you have. | 01:12:18 | |
| There's a level of detachment sometimes from the employees working in a department that don't see the end result. | 01:12:19 | |
| That's you. You can't get them to do their their work out of. | 01:12:27 | |
| A sense of feeling like. | 01:12:33 | |
| The common folks. | 01:12:35 | |
| Watching him every day. | 01:12:36 | |
| There's there's not necessarily. | 01:12:38 | |
| Always a reminder that they work for the people because they're part of a big entity. | 01:12:40 | |
| It's a little deeper maybe then you'd want me to go, but. | 01:12:44 | |
| The point is. | 01:12:47 | |
| There's there's lots of ways to address performance. | 01:12:48 | |
| Merit pay my opinion. | 01:12:52 | |
| Doesn't work. | 01:12:54 | |
| Very well, if at all, for public sector, especially larger public sector organizations. | 01:12:55 | |
| OK. Thank you. | 01:13:01 | |
| Anyone else? | 01:13:03 | |
| Daniel, we remind people that there are budget amendment forms on your desk. | 01:13:06 | |
| So if if you need more. | 01:13:12 | |
| Let us know. | 01:13:14 | |
| Supervisor Johnson. | 01:13:18 | |
| OK, I make a motion to adjourn to the next meeting on Wednesday, November 12th at. | 01:13:20 | |
| 9:00 AM. | 01:13:24 | |
| Have a second by Supervisor Miller. | 01:13:27 | |
| All in favor signify by aye. | 01:13:29 | |
| Aye, opposed. That is carried. Thank you. | 01:13:32 |