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County OKs $25,000 to LAIC
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By ELISA SAND, Staff Reporter
| 08/05/2009 |
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Faced with a provisional budget showing expenses still $27,749 above projected revenues, Lake County Commissioners made an unprecedented move on Tuesday that nearly doubles the deficit.
Lake Area Improvement Corporation Executive Director Dwaine Chapel appeared before commissioners to discuss a last-minute request of $25,000 for 2010 operational costs, which was approved.
"I really look forward to creating this partnership with the county commission," Chapel said. "We're creating a lot of good things, not just for the city but the whole county as well."
Chapel said that the LAIC is in the middle of negotiations with an agricultural business and has just started talking with a technology company.
Commissioner Chris Giles, who sits on the LAIC board as the county representative, said that unemployment in Lake County could be higher without efforts by the LAIC.
"We would be in much worse shape without the job creation taking place," Giles said. "Without that, we would be down a couple hundred more."
Chapel said there are positive things happening in Madison. The Technology Center on the north side of town is projected to be full, he said. Integra is bringing employees back and Rosebud is talking about calling employees back to work. Chapel said that Gehl-Mustang's outlook is also good.
"Gehl isn't going to close, in my opinion. They're still strong with good sales," he said.
When it came time to discuss how much money commissioners would put toward LAIC operations, Commissioner Dan Bohl took immediate action, proposing the full amount requested.
That took Giles by surprise.
"I want to see us get back into helping with funding," Giles said. "I'm not sure it should be $25,000."
Commissioners have supported LAIC operations since 1998, contributing $25,000 at first, dropping support to $20,000 for several years and then $15,000 for a few years. In both 2001 and 2009, no funding was allocated. In 2008, $5,000 was given.
Giles said that Lake County has contributed an average of $16,000 over the years. Bohl, however, said Lake County should be giving $25,000.
"What we've gained is bigger than that," he said.
Bohl pointed to several services provided by the city that benefit both city and county residents. Those services include the Recycling Center in Madison and the Restricted Use Site near Junius. Bohl indicated that the county provides a small percentage to the library compared to the services received by people in the county.
Commissioners unanimously approved allocating the additional funding for LAIC, but then were faced with how to fund that allocation with projected revenue still short of expenses.
Lake County Auditor Kay Schmidt said commissioners had two options: adjust the contingency fund (which covers unexpected expenses) to a lower amount, or apply cash reserves.
While reducing the contingency budget wasn't an option she favored, Schmidt indicated that cash reserves were again projected to exceed the maximum allowed by state statute, which is 40 percent of the general fund budget.
In fact, according to the 2010 provisional fact sheet, the $45,149 in expenses that was approved to be covered by cash reserves will only take care of part of the projected excess in cash reserves.
Three additional cuts totaling $7,600 were made to the county budget. Those cuts included a $2,500 request from the Interlakes Water Quality Committee, which is disbanding and not requesting funding at this time; a $2,600 office furniture line for the Sheriff's Office, which wasn't designated for any specific purchases; and $2,500 for an additional computer at the 4-H Extension Office.
Lake County's budget goes into effect after its official hearings in September.
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©Madison Daily Leader 2009
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