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French: shared revenue to be stimulus money
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The state of Wisconsin will use federal stimulus money to make its shared revenue payments, county officials announced Monday.
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Interim Administrator Jeff French told the Barron County Board of Supervisors that while factors affecting the county's 2010 budget are currently in flux, Barron County will not receive money from the state-more than $1 million-until after the year ends.
It's a bookkeeping trick to give the appearance of a balanced budget, French said.
In total, the state will spend $76.1 million of one-time American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money to make shared revenue payments to counties.
The state budget also prohibited any cuts in counties' police and fire department spending through the 2009-2011 budget cycle. Emergency services must be maintained at their 2009 levels, the provision states.
In other budget news, county libraries have requested $403,541 in 2010 funding, up 11.68 percent from last year's $361,333 request.
The highway department's budget has been submitted and approved, French added. Other departments are required to have their budgets in before the end of the month.
Budget information will be presented to the executive committee at their Sept. 2 meeting.
Comparables
Barron County's equalized value fell .80 percent from 2008 to 2009, French told supervisors.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue's report for the county shows Turtle Lake's 4.4-percent drop was the largest decrease, and Chetek's 2.74-percent surge was the largest increase.
Many neighboring counties, including St. Croix, Pierce, Pepin, Burnett, Sawyer, Rusk, Polk and Washburn, reported more than 1-percent dips in equalized value. Rusk, Pierce, St. Croix and Polk counties had drops from 3 to nearly 6 percent.
Finance director job
While French serves as interim administrator, Steven Otto will assume finance director duties on a part-time, limited-term basis.
Other news
George Strom, supervisor for District 29, passed away July 29. A new appointee will be announced at the board's next meeting.
The process of recruiting a new administrator continues. The ad hoc recruitment committee is drafting a job description, interview questions and list of job posting sources to present at the Sept. 2 meeting of the executive committee.
Kevin Roske updated supervisors on the status of construction projects at the Barron County Fairgrounds. Total cost of the three livestock buildings was $326,000, Roske said. The county provided a $200,000 interest-free loan for the buildings.
Supervisors approved a resolution ensuring the county won't be financially responsible for any part of the Rice Lake Community Recreation Center to be built on the UW-Barron County campus.
Ordinances
Supervisors adopted a resolution barring use of outside firewood. Wood must be from an area within 50 miles of county property.
A countywide animal control ordinance was sent back to committee. Supervisor Donald Horstman noted problems with several measures, including excessive regulations on at-large dogs, noise control, overworking of animals and animal care.
Horse pulls could be perceived as overworking animals, Horstman explained. Dogs must be loose to hunt, coyotes' howling can cause dogs to bark uncontrollably, and an exclusion on selling, bartering or giving away fewer than 25 chickens (under a regulation on animal care) was pointless.
Under the terms of the drafted ordinance, Horstman said he would be breaking the law because his wife accepted a few chicks from someone.
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©The Chetek Alert 2009
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