County is working on budget

By Steve Sharp of the Daily Times staff
Thursday, September 18, 2008 12:28 PM CDT

JEFFERSON - The Jefferson County Finance Committee began its struggle this week to shape a proposed 2009 county budget by driving each department head to the limit to find areas in which to locate efficiencies.

The state has mandated a 2 percent tax levy increase limit for next year and to achieve this, budget makers are being forced to make $5.2 million in cuts. Their options include reductions in expenditures, putting off purchases of capital equipment and projects, general fund balance transfers and bonding.

Jefferson County's department heads were told they should meet the goal of maintaining a maximum 2 percent increase in their respective budgets for 2009. Each percentage point amounts to about $250,000.

On Wednesday, the finance committee met with departments including human services, sheriff's/emergency management and district attorney. Jefferson County Administrator Gary Petre told the Daily Times during a break in the meetings that the county is facing a 5 percent increase in its health care costs and the rate of general inflation is projected to be up to 6 percent next year.

Jefferson County Human Services Department Director Tom Schleitwiler prepared his proposed budget which contained approximately $477,000 in cuts and heard the finance committee direct him to slash an additional $120,000 from the document.

ADVERTISEMENT

And for the first time, the sheriff's department budget is being combined with that of emergency management in 2009. Chief Deputy Kevin Stapleton appeared before the finance committee with Sheriff Paul Milbrath and Emergency Management Director Donna Haugom.

Stapleton said that, in general, the increases in the sheriff's department's demands beyond the 2 percent limit come in wages and health care. The requirements that come from the department in terms of supporting its employees in retirement are also increasing.

“Fuel, eating - the cost increases we are seeing are all inherited from the outside economy,” Stapleton said. “Where we could take some hits, we did.”

He also said the department is seeing its expectations for revenue reduced by about $100,000 in the area of jail bed holds and paper service.

“Unless you can find about $5 million, we are going to have to make cuts,” John Molinaro told Stapleton.

The sheriff's department is seeing an increase of $40,000 in fuel costs in 2009 - and its cars are operated on propane. Stapleton also requested the purchase of some new squad cars, because some existing vehicles have as many as 160,000 miles on them.

“I just don't have anywhere anymore to knock down,” Stapleton said.

The committee discussed the possibility of eliminating courthouse security, but Stapleton said he would not recommend reducing staffing when there are already jobs that need to be filled. Sharon Schmeling of the finance committee also noted that such an idea would be immensely unpopular with the county's four circuit court judges who have long said they want to see security increased.

“I think you'd want to see some kind of protective service group there,” Stapleton said.

“This is unpleasant, but we have to talk about this,” Schmeling said, before introducing another concept she called, “my unpopular Idea No. 2.” With that, she brought up the suggestion that the county decrease its sheriff's department patrols to townships. The town of Lake Mills and the town of Oakland are the only townships in the county that have their own police officers.

“I'm not advocating this, I'm just asking,” Schmeling said.

“It's our job to protect the public,” Milbrath responded. “Otherwise why have us at all?”

“We are mandated to provide police protection to these locations,” Stapleton added.

Overtime costs at the sheriff's department were also addressed.

“We talk about overtime in every budget season and the fact is, the sheriff's department has staffing standards it has to meet and if someone calls in sick, they have to be replaced,” Petre said. “And even if you do not budget for this, that doesn't mean (overtime) isn't going to happen.”

The department is also experiencing the loss of some deputies to their military deployment to Afghanistan and this increases overtime expenditures.

In his attempt to keep costs down at the department, Stapleton said he removed his request for three additional 911 dispatchers to be hired. Stapleton said he cut $250,000 from the budget and the committee urged him to remove $400,000 to meet the cap. There were, however, no changes made to the sheriff/emergency management budget Wednesday, with the exception that $30,000 was removed that would have paid for a flood early warning system.

The committee approved a tentative budget for the sheriff's and emergency management departments for 2009 of $11,292,526, an increase of $535,286, or about 5 percent, over 2008.

After the meeting, Stapleton told the Daily Times he empathizes with the finance committee during this difficult economic time.

“They are faced with monetary concerns. We try to be cost-efficient and serve the public and it's tough with costs for fuel increasing, and that is all indicated in the sheriff's budget,” he said.

District Attorney David Wambach argued for retaining a full-time secretary's position that supports the First Offender Program.

Molinaro, of the committee, however, took a firm stance with Wambach, as he did with other department heads, saying, “We have more than a $5 million deficit and everyone has to share in the pain.”

Wambach argued that his department is responsible for much of the revenue that is brought in by the sheriff's department, because the sheriff's arrests are not money-makers until a conviction is obtained by the DA's office.

“Some percentage of (the sheriff's department revenue) has to be taken into account in terms of effort on behalf of the DA's office,” Wambach said.

Wambach acknowledged that other counties in the state are making difficult budgeting decisions, but he said that in neighboring Dane County, the two departments that were left intact in the budget process were the sheriff's and DA's offices.

“I advocate that this committee say the DA's budget is the only budget other than the sheriff's that preserves justice for the citizens of the county,” he said, adding that his department has been very effective in collecting restitution for the victims of crimes in the county.

When all was said and done Wednesday, the finance committee reduced the first offender program's secretarial position to part-time.

“The reality is we have no money and we are cutting (aid to the Jefferson County Literacy Council) and free clinics. The first offender program will still exist, it will just be leaner and meaner,” Molinaro said.

The committee has even discussed the possibility of eliminating county highway construction and the privatization of Countryside Home. Bonding for projects and equipment was also addressed.

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors traditionally approves the county budget in November.

As Wambach, who is leaving his post as DA to work in the office of state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, was exiting the meeting, Schmeling called to him, “You picked a good time to leave county government, Dave. The good old days are over.”