Sep 10, 2025 Washington County Board of Supervisors Meeting

ANYBODY ELSE? SUPERVISOR? MARY? THANK YOU.

CHAIR.

UH, WITH SOME OF THE RAINS WE HAD THE LAST, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, HOW WAS THIS AREA IMPACTED BY WHAT WE'VE BEEN CALLED? A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD? MM-HMM .

I MEAN, THIS IS A FLOOD STORAGE AREA, I ASSUME IT WAS FULL.

SO GOING OUT THERE AND LOOKING, UM, THE WATER DID NOT TOUCH THE HOMES.

IT'S HARD TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN A RAIN EVENT AND A FLOOD EVENT.

NOW, THE ASH PIN RIVER, WHICH FEEDS IT, DOES NOT HAVE ANY SENSORS, SO IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CALCULATE WHAT TRUE FLOOD EVENT.

AND THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM IN ITSELF, BUT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO CALCULATE IT WITHOUT THOSE SENSORS OF THE WATER FLOW COMING THROUGH.

UM, AND WE DID REACH OUT, UM, TO SOME MULTIPLE TO SEWER PACK TO SEE, AND YEAH, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO SENSORS IN THE ASPEN TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT CALCULATION.

UM, TALKING TO A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS OVER THE PAST MONTH, I MEAN, A LOT OF 'EM WE'RE SEEING ABOUT NINE TO ALMOST 10 INCHES IN THEIR RAIN GAUGE OR MORE.

BUT YEAH, ESSENTIALLY THAT FLOOD STORAGE DIS OR THE, THE FLOODING DID NOT REALLY COME UP TO ANY OF THE HOUSES FROM WHAT I WITNESSED AND FROM TALKING TO RESIDENTS.

SO THE MAPPING IS ANOTHER PROBLEM OR SOMETHING THAT COULD COME UP IF THAT'S ACTUALLY ACCURATE IN PROVING THAT IT'S ACCURATE.

IF, IF THAT WAS A 100 YEAR FLOOD, WE HAD NINE INCHES OF RAIN.

DOESN'T THAT MAKE THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION SOMEWHAT OF A MOOT CASE? POSSIBLY, YES.

MM-HMM .

SUPERVISOR, UM, I HAVE A, UM, A STATEMENT I WANNA MAKE WITH THE FILL.

A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE CANNOT FILL ACCORDING TO THE COORDINATES BECAUSE THEIR HOMES, THEIR LAND SPACE IS SMALL, YOU KNOW, THE 15 FOOT, UM, SURROUNDING.

AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT REMOVED THE FILL FOR THEM, BECAUSE HOW ARE THEY POSSIBLY GONNA DO THAT IF THEY CAN'T EVEN DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? .

AND, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

UM, IN THE RESOLUTION, WE DO HAVE A POINT IN THERE, WHICH IS ALLOWING ADDITIONAL MEANS MM-HMM .

TO REPLACE THAT FILL.

SO YEAH, I KNOW THAT WAS VERY CLEAR WITH TALKING TO RESIDENTS TOO.

AND I, I AGREE THAT THAT WAS MADE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR.

SO IF THIS DOES GO FORWARD, IT WOULD BE MORE CLEAR TO OTHERS TOO.

SUPERVISOR GALLES, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.

DID THIS COME TO BE IN THE FIRST PLACE? WEREN'T THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INPUT FROM COUNTIES OR OTHER, UH, MUNICIPALITIES, ENTITIES THAT WOULD'VE SAID, THIS IS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OR OUTCOMES, SO WHY GO DOWN THIS PATH? THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'M SCRATCHING MY HEAD BECAUSE MM-HMM .

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS JUST ADVISORY, RIGHT? SO WHAT COMES TO MY MIND OR QUESTION IS HOW

[00:15:01]

THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS THIS ADVISORY, SO, RIGHT, RIGHT.

UM, AND I'M GONNA BE COMPLETELY HONEST, THIS HAS NEVER BEEN BROUGHT UP BY ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY IN MY KNOWLEDGE.

I THINK YOU'RE ALMOST CHALLENGING THE DNRS FLOOD STORAGE DISTRICT.

UM, YEAH, NO, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT POINT.

UM, BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN DONE, UM, REGARDING THE FLOOD STORAGE.

UM, THERE'S OTHER COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE FLOOD STORAGE AND THEY NEVER BRING IT UP.

UM, NO ONE'S EVER FOUGHT IT.

THERE WAS OPPORTUNITIES TO APPEAL SOME OF THESE MAPPING, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.

YOU HAD TO HIRE YOUR OWN SURVEYOR, AND IT'S ON THE RESIDENT'S COST TO PROVE THAT THE DN R'S WRONG.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER HUGE ASPECT OF THIS, IS THEY'RE REQUIRING YOU TO SPEND THE MONEY AND A SURVEYOR'S NOT CHEAP NOWADAYS, AND YOU COULD BE PROVED WRONG AND YOU HAVE NO FIGHT AGAINST IT.

YOU'RE ALMOST TRAPPED.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF THESE RESIDENTS WERE FEELING TOO, IN THIS CASE, SUPERVISOR.

SO I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.

UM, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN THIS DISCUSSION IS THE COUNTY BOARD HERE REALLY IS ON YOUR SIDE, I THINK I'M BETTING JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY ON HERE AGREES WITH YOU, THAT AS RESIDENTS, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO RESTORE YOUR HOME IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO IT.

THESE RULES, THEY WERE CLEARLY PUT IN PLACE BY DNR ADMINISTRATIVE OVERREACH.

THESE ARE UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS AT THEIR WORST.

SO NOW IT'S UP TO US AS THE ELECTED LEADERS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING THIS ADVISORY RESOLUTION OUT THERE TO GO TO THE STATE, AND HOPEFULLY OUR STATE LEGISLATORS ARE ALSO ON YOUR SIDE, AND THEY'RE GONNA ACT ON THIS AND CHANGE THE LAW TO REIGN IN THE DNR.

THAT'S MY HOPE ANYWAY, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL SUPPORT THIS.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR KELLY.

I'D LIKE TO, UH, ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF, UH, SUPERVISOR BOSER.

UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING UP.

UH, YOU ALSO SHOWED UP FOR MY LAND USE AND PLANNING MEETING, AND, UH, I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS ISSUE.

MOST TIMES GOVERNMENTS ARE, ARE WHAT WE'RE BUYING FOR AND OF THE PEOPLE.

AND SOMETIMES, UH, PEOPLE IN THEIR QUEST TO DO SOMETHING GOOD, UH, PROTECT PEOPLE AND PROTECT PROPERTY, THEY GET A LITTLE OVER ZEALOUS AND THEY DO SOMETHING BAD.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.

THIS IS JUST FLAT OUT BAD GOVERNMENT THAT THEY, THEY MADE A MISTAKE.

UH, THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE.

UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE ALLOWED TO OWN PROPERTY, IF WE HAVE TRUE PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO REBUILD AFTER A CERTAIN DISASTER OR BE ABLE TO RECOVER THEIR LAND AND NOT JUST HAVE IT AUTOMATICALLY, UH, REVERTED OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT.

SO I THINK, UH, THAT'S WHERE THIS REALLY IS A PROBLEM.

AND, AND I KIND OF GO TO THE SCHOOL OF JOSH SHOWMAN, THAT THE PEOPLE ARE OUR CUSTOMERS AND, AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT 'EM THAT WAY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE MAKE THESE LAWS, WE, WE HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIX THINGS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, RETAIN AND, AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY.

THE PROBLEM HERE IS, IS IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THE BUREAUCRATS IN MADISON TOOK THIS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY MADE THIS.

UM, AND TO, UH, SUPERVISOR MARY'S POINT, WHEN WE HAD THIS ALLEGED, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A 100 OR 500 YEAR FLOOD, UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE CONFLICTION ON THAT, BUT IN EITHER CASE, IT DID NOT FLOOD OUT.

SO, WHICH KIND OF BEGS THE DIFFERENCE OF, IS THIS EVEN A FLOOD STORAGE AREA TO BEGIN WITH? NOW, IT COULD BE DIFFERENT IF WE HAD THAT RAIN EVENT IN THE SPRING RUNOFF.

YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT SITUATION, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT AT LEAST RAISES THE QUESTION.

WHEN WE HAD THIS IN OUR COMMITTEE, WE TRIED TO DRAFT THIS TO BE VERY CLEAN AND VERY CONCISE, UH, THAT THE STATE MESSED UP.

PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMEDY THEIR, THEIR SITUATION ON THEIR PROPERTY AND RETAIN THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS.

THEIR PROPERTY IS NOT THERE FOR THE TAKING.

THAT'S NOT THE AMERICA WE'VE GROWN UP IN.

SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GIVE 'EM, UH, UH, A LOT OF SUPPORT.

THEY'VE BEEN HERE THROUGHOUT AND THEY PLAN ON TAKING THEIR FIGHT OUT HERE TO MADISON AND I, AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER TO SEE THAT.

SO THANK YOU SO

[00:20:01]

MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOU TO THE COMMENTS.

PLEASURE, SCHWAB.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

SOMEONE HAD ASKED EARLIER IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER STATES IN THE AREA THAT DO THIS.

A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH SAYS, NOPE, WISCONSIN'S THE ONLY ONE THAT RECOGNIZES OFFICIAL FORMAL FLOOD STORAGE DISTRICT SYSTEM.

SO I, I THINK THE ASSESSMENT THAT THE DNR JUST HAD SOME BUREAUCRATIC OVERREACH IS, IS PROBABLY TRUE.

AND WHILE AS SUPERVISOR GALL NOTED, THIS IS ONLY ADVISORY, UM, IT JUST MAKES SENSE.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR CONRAD.

THANK YOU CHAIR, AND TO THANK YOU ALL, UM, CITIZENS AND OUR CONSTITUENTS FOR SHARING, FOR SHARING YOUR VOICE SO WE CAN BETTER REPRESENT YOU.

UM, I DO HAVE A, A QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS HAD TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF ANY GRANDFATHER IN-LAWS IN THIS, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S ADVISORY? UM, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT, PLEASE? YEAH, NO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, GRANDFATHERING DID GET BROUGHT UP THROUGHOUT THIS, UM, OUR BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT YOU'D BE TOUCHING THE FEMA REGULATIONS, AND WE REALLY WANNA TARGET THE FLOOD STORAGE DISTRICT WITH THE DNR.

THAT'S WHY WE STAYED AWAY FROM A REALLY HARD GRANDFATHER IN CLAUSE REBUILD AS IS.

WE DIDN'T WANNA LOSE MOMENTUM GOING AFTER THE WISCONSIN DNR ON THIS.

SO THE INTENT WAS TO LEAVE THAT OUT.

WE ALSO DIDN'T WANNA ADD A GRANDFATHERING CLAUSE MORE RELATED TO THE WISCONSIN, UM, REGULATIONS AS WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE.

KIND OF A LOOPHOLE OUT WHERE THEY SAY, ALL RIGHT, FOR 15 YEARS YOU COULD REBUILD YOUR HOME, NEGATING THE FLOOD STORAGE DISTRICT.

WELL, A BIG CONCERN FROM RESIDENTS WAS WHAT HAPPENS IN 25 YEARS WHEN MY HOUSE IS GONE? IF THERE'S A TIME LIMIT ON IT, WE FELT IF WE DIDN'T PUT A TIME LIMIT ON IT, THAT THEY WOULD THROW IT AWAY.

SO WE WANTED TO REALLY GO AFTER OTHER MEANS TO BE ABLE TO BUILD THE HOUSES UP.

UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE INTENT IS.

AND THERE IS SOME INTENT WITH THAT 50% REPAIR RULE IN THERE TOO.

UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE STAYED AWAY FROM THAT GRANDFATHER.

AND THEN WE HAD A LOT OF INPUT FROM THE RESIDENTS ON THAT TOO.

UM, WE'VE MET WITH 'EM SEVERAL TIMES, SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INPUT FROM THE RESIDENTS ON THIS TOO.

YES.

SUPERVISOR PRIDE MORE.

THE QUESTION I HAVE NOW, AND I THINK IT'S FOR THE LAWYER, IS THE THREE WORDS THAT I WANTED ADDED TO THIS AMENDMENT.

AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY READ THAT.

AM I SUPPOSED TO READ IT IN SECOND PAGE? BETWEEN, UM, FIVE AND 10? DID YOU WANT ME TO READ IT? UM, YES.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THAT THIS BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE WISCONSIN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL MEANS BESIDES MERELY FILL FOR HOMEOWNERS TO COMPLY WITH FLOOD STORAGE AND FLOOD FRINGE DISTRICT POLICY IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, SUCH AS USE OF PYLONS, HELOC, PEERS, AND OTHER ENGINEERING SYSTEMS. , I'M SORRY.

I'M TERRIBLE WITH MY WORDS.

ANYWAYS.

UM, SO THOSE ARE THE COUPLE WORDS IN THERE TO, TO, SO THEY CAN USE SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES THE FILL TO MEET THE NEED.

CAN WE CALL THAT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? THERE'S NO OBJECTION.

SO FIRST OF ALL, THE TWO THAT MADE THE MOTION ORIGINALLY, DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THESE ADDITIONAL WORDS? OKAY.

DOES ANYONE ELSE OBJECT? IF NOT, WE'LL CALL THAT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND WE'LL VOTE ON IT WITH THE RED WORDS IN .

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DO YOU WANNA SAY WHAT THOSE ARE FOR THE AUDIENCE? SO THEY'RE CLEAR? SORRY, SHE JUST READ 'EM.

UM, IT SAYS THAT THE CODE SHOULD ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL MEANS BESIDES MERELY FILL FOR HOMEOWNERS TO COMPLY WITH THE POLICIES SUCH AS USE OF PYLONS, HELIC, PEERS, AND OTHER ENGINEERING SYSTEMS THAT CLEAR TO EVERYONE BESIDES MERELY FELT YES.

ON THAT NOTE, 22.

OKAY, WE'LL VOTE ELECTRONICALLY IF I DIDN'T

[00:25:01]

GET A VOTING PAGE YET.

OH, IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS FOUR B RESOLUTION 36 AUTHORIZED IN WASHINGTON COUNTY GOLF COURSE EXPANSION PROJECT AND USE OF CASH ON HAND TO START THE PROJECT.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR KREBS SECOND BY ME.

, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? YOU OH,

[b. 2025 Resolution 36 – Resolution Authorizing the Washington County Golf Course Expansion Project and Use of Cash on Hand to Start the Project]

SUPERVISOR GALL.

OH, THANK YOU, CHAIR.

JUST, I, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT CONFIRMING THAT THE CASH ON HAND, THAT'S A, THAT WHICH IS AVAILABLE IN THAT SEGREGATED FUND THAT'S IN THE ENTERPRISE FUND.

ENTERPRISE, YES.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR.

MARY? YES, SIR.

CHAIR.

UH, I THINK WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S STRESSED TO THE PUBLIC.

WHOEVER ELSE HEARS AND KNOWS ABOUT THIS EXPANSION, THIS IS NOT BEING PAID FOR BY TAXPAYER LEVY.

THIS IS BEING PAID FOR BY THE PROCEEDS THAT ARE EARNED BY THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE GOLF COURSE.

I JUST THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE CLEAR TO EVERYBODY.

THIS DOES NOT AFFECT OUR TAXES IN ONE WAY.

THOSE WHO USE THE GOLF COURSE ARE ULTIMATELY PAYING FOR THIS EX, UH, THE, THIS ADDITION.

ALSO, UH, MS. LUDOVIC, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THIS IS NOT JUST AN ADDITION.

THIS IS REBUILDING THE 25-YEAR-OLD ROOF ON THE ENTIRE BUILDING ALSO.

CORRECT? YES.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR KREBS.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT TO, TO THE BOARD, UM, THE FISCAL NOTE AT THE END OF THE RESOLUTION SAYS THAT ANY FUTURE DEBT ISSUANCE WILL COME BACK BEFORE THIS BOARD VIA RESOLUTION PROCESS.

SO IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU'RE ALSO SUPPORTING THE ACTUAL BORROWING FOR THIS PROJECT IN THE FUTURE.

THIS IS JUST TO GET THE PROJECT STARTED WITH CASH ON HAND.

IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH SOME FORM OF SOME AMOUNT OR SOME LEVEL OF, UH, BORROWING AT A FUTURE DATE.

SO MAKING EVERYONE AWARE OF THAT.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR KELLY.

READY PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

UH, AND ALSO, AND IT MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT CONFUSING TO PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE USING CASH ON HAND AND WHY AREN'T WE JUST PULLING OUT A LOAN, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT AND ALL THE REST OF THAT? WELL, BASICALLY WE NEED TO GET THIS PROJECT STARTED.

UM, AND WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ESTIMATES TO BE DONE, SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO NEED, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO END UP BORROWING 2 MILLION WHEN IT TURNS OUT YOU ONLY NEEDED ONE AND A HALF MILLION OR 1.2 MILLION, UM, BECAUSE ALL THAT EXTRA MONEY YOU'RE PAYING INTEREST ON.

SO BASICALLY, WE'RE GONNA GET THIS STARTED WITH WHAT WE HAVE ON HAND.

AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS AND WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE A ROUGH IDEA.

BUT LIKE RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST $2 MILLION, WELL, COULD BE CONSIDERABLY LESS.

THE LAST CONTRACT THAT WE DID, IF YOU'LL RECALL, WE ENDED UP COMING IN WAY LOWER THAN WE THOUGHT.

SO RATHER THAN OVER BORROWING AND PAYING EXCESSIVE INTEREST PAYMENTS, 'CAUSE A LOT OF 'EM, YOU CAN'T ALSO PAY OFF EARLY.

SO THEY, THEY COME WITH TIMELINES AND PENALTIES FOR THAT.

UH, THIS WAY I THINK IT'S JUST A, A MORE FISCALLY SOUND WAY TO DO IT.

UH, UTILIZE WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT WE WERE GONNA UTILIZE ANYWAYS.

BORROW THE REMAINDER THAT WE NEED AT HOPEFULLY REALLY GOOD RATES, AND WE'RE ALL SET.

SO, THANK YOU.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, AND WHEN THE CLERK IS READY, WE WILL VOTE ELECTRONICALLY.

UM, OH, THIS IS A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE, BUT WHEN WE DO BORROW, IT WILL REQUIRE A BETTER MAJORITY.

SO KEEP THAT IN MIND.

GREAT.

NEXT UP IS RESOLUTION 37, AUTHORIZING THE WASHINGTON COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

[00:30:01]

SERVICES TO THE TOWN OF HARTFORD AS PART OF SHARED REVENUE OF THE COUNTY SALES STACK.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR BOSER.

SECOND BY SUPERVISOR CHADRON.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION?

[c. 2025 Resolution 37 – Resolution Authorizing the Washington County Information Technology Department to Provide Information Technology Services to the Town of Hartford as Part of Shared Revenue of the County Sales Tax]

AND AS SOON AS SHE CLEARS THE LAST VOTE, WE'LL GET ON WITH THIS ONE.

OKAY, WE WE'RE MISSING A FEW VOTES.

I GOT 19.

HOW DO I TELL I DIDN'T VOTE? ONE MORE.

I GOT 20.

YOU GOT, DID YOU? I VOTED.

UM, PUSH THIS.

OH, THAT LAST PERSON'S IS, THANK YOU.

IT VOTED PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

UM, NEXT UP, WHAT WAS THAT? 38 RESOLUTION.

38.

AUTHORIZING THE WASHINGTON COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO THE TOWN OF TRENTON AS PART OF SALES SHARED REVENUE OF THE COUNTY SALES TAX MOTION.

[d. 2025 Resolution 38 – Resolution Authorizing the Washington County Information Technology Department to Provide Information Technology Services to the Town of Trenton as Part of Shared Revenue of the County Sales Tax]

AND A SECOND, PLEASE.

SUPERVISOR TOOMA.

SUPERVISOR SCHULTY.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION THERE BEING NONE? WE'LL VOTE ELECTRONICALLY.

THIS IS ALSO A SIMPLE MAJORITY.

IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

FINALLY, WE HAVE RESOLUTION 39 AUTHORIZING THE WASHINGTON COUNTY GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE GIS SERVICES TO THE TOWN OF POLK AS PART OF SHARED REVENUE OF SALES TAX MOTION.

AND A SECOND SUPERVISOR, GALL SUPERVISOR HARTWIG.

ANY DISCUSSION?

[e. 2025 Resolution 39 – Resolution Authorizing the Washington County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department to Provide GIS Services to the Town of Polk as Part of the Washington County Shared Revenue Grant Program]

SUPERVISOR CONRAD AND SUPERVISOR CHADRON? I DON'T HAVE YOUR VOTES.

SORRY.

YEAH, I WAS GONNA MAKE A COMMENT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

UNANIMOUS, IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

UM, AND NEXT WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION OF THE 20 26, 20 27 BUDGET.

WILL THAT BE ONE OR BOTH? PULLING UP A POWERPOINT HERE.

SHOULD BE ON THIS ONE.

YOU, SO WHILE THAT'S COMING UP, I CAN JUST TELL YOU A FEW THINGS.

UH, FIRST AND

[Personal Appearances, Letters, and Other Communications]

FOREMOST,

[a. Presentation of 2026-2027 Budget]

THIS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT BUDGET I'VE WORKED ON IN 10 YEARS.

UM, I BROUGHT WITH ME THE BUDGETS FROM 2015 AND 2016, UH, JUST AS REMINDERS.

UH, I BEAT MYSELF WITH THESE AT NIGHT 'CAUSE THESE WERE ACTUALLY HARDER THAN THIS ONE, BUT THEY'RE THE ONLY TWO I THINK, THAT HAVE BEEN QUITE AS DIFFICULT AS THE ONE THAT WE WORKED THROUGH IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.

UM, I KNOW A NUMBER OF YOU AT COMMITTEES HAVE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE HEAVY LIFTING THAT IS IN THIS BUDGET, AND YOU'LL BE STRUGGLING WITH IT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT MONTH.

AND I THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

UM, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A BRIEF PRESENTATION TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THE BUDGET THAT IS COMING FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE PER STATUTE.

UM, AND HERE'S A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH IN OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.

UH, FIRST, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR BUDGETING GOALS AND RULES.

[00:35:01]

UM, THERE'S A, A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT WERE IN CONSIDERATION IN THIS PER PARTICULAR BUDGET, AS WELL AS WALK YOU THROUGH THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS THAT WE'VE UTILIZED, AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, BUDGET IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY ON TAXES.

I WANT TO SPEND SOME TIME MAKING SURE WE TOUCH ON.

UM, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE ONLY ONE FIFTH OR ONE SIXTH OF THE TOTAL TAX BILL, BUT I, I DON'T THINK WE PROBABLY SPEND ENOUGH TIME THINKING ABOUT THAT, AND PARTICULARLY IN THIS TIME OF, UH, FOLKS STRUGGLING WITH AFFORDABILITY IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN OUR STATE, THINKING ABOUT IT SPECIFICALLY, HOW THIS IMPACTS THEM.

UH, AND THEN I'LL HIGHLIGHT, HIGHLIGHT A NUMBER OF THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS AND INITIATIVES.

SO FIRST, LET'S START WITH WHERE WE SHOULD BEGIN, AND THAT'S THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTY.

UM, HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF REALLY THE LAST, UM, 17 YEARS OR SO.

IF YOU FIGURE THE NEXT TWO BUDGETS THAT ARE COMING, WHICH WE'LL GET TO AT THE END, UH, IT'S A FULL 20 YEAR CLIP.

UH, YOU CAN SEE IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE DIFFERENT TAXING JURISDICTIONS.

WE, WE JUST PICKED ONE EXAMPLE, AND THIS IS KIND OF A MEDIAN TYPE OF AN EXAMPLE, UH, OF WHAT SOMEBODY COULD EXPECT.

YOU'LL NOTICE IN 2008, THEIR HOME, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE WAS ASSESSED AT $232,000.

EVERYBODY KNOWS THE INFLATIONARY IMPACTS WE'VE SEEN, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.

UH, CURRENT VALUE OF THAT HOME IS ALMOST DOUBLE, NOT QUITE, BUT PRETTY CLOSE.

UM, BUT YOU'LL SEE THE PORTION, UH, THAT IS BEING ACTUALLY PAID OUT TO THE COUNTY, UH, IS, IS RELATIVELY FLAT, UM, JUST OVER A 1% INCREASE IN THAT 17 YEARS IN THIS CASE.

UM, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CASE, UH, IN, IN THE OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS.

UH, AND JUST KNOW THAT DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE, THERE ACTUALLY MAY BE MORE TAXING JURISDICTIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU IN HARTFORD UNION, UH, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS LISTED ON YOURS.

UM, SO IT IS, IT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PER JURISDICTION, BUT THIS AT LEAST GIVES YOU A FLAVOR, UH, FROM A, FROM THE JOE HOMEOWNER'S PERSPECTIVE, FROM THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER'S PERSPECTIVE, UH, WHAT, WHAT THESE TAX BILLS HAVE LOOKED LIKE OVER THE YEARS.

UH, AND I'LL TALK TO YOU IN A FEW MINUTES.

WE'LL, WE'LL SHOW THIS AGAIN, BUT WITH CURRENT IMPACTS ON MY PROPOSED BUDGET, AND THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.

NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.

, HAVE I EVER TALKED THAT SHORT? YEAH.

SO WE ARE, WE HAD TO SHIFT SO THAT IT COULD BE STREAMED FOR THE AUDIENCE AT HOME.

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WERE SAYING.

ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S SOME RULES FOR SPENDING.

SO ALL THE PEOPLE IN TV LAND, UM, THIS WAS WHAT I WAS, THIS IS A SLIDE I WAS JUST REFERRING TO.

SO, SO HERE ARE THE BUDGET GOALS THAT I PROMISED, UH, FOR, FIRST OFF, I FRAME WHAT WAS, AND THEN WHAT IS, THIS IS WHAT WAS, WHEN I WAS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

UM, THE BOARD'S DIRECTIVES WERE TO, TO FOCUS ON TAX RATE, UH, TRYING TO KEEP IT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, AND IT WAS A BALANCING ACT.

I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.

UM, BUT THAT WAS REALLY WHERE WE KEPT OUR FOCUS.

SEEK ADDITIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHARED SERVICES.

THAT'S BEEN A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF THE COUNTY FOR EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.

SO NOW OVER ALMOST 12 YEARS.

UM, ELIMINATION OR ALTERNATIVE FUNDING FOR NON MANDATES.

UH, YOU ALL KNOW AND HAVE LIVED SOME OF THOSE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AND DECISIONS, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE, UH, AS YOU'LL SEE IN HERE ABOUT IN A FEW MINUTES.

UH, AND THEN FAIL FAST.

UM, WE, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE HAVE TRIED, UH, THAT IS UNCONVENTIONAL, THAT IS INNOVATIVE.

UM, MOST OF IT WORKS, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO SHUT IT DOWN QUICK.

AND, UM, THERE'S ALWAYS EXAMPLES OF THAT YEAR OVER YEAR OVER YEAR.

UH, AND THEN REDUCE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THROUGH ATTRITION OR OTHERWISE, UH, SIMPLY GETTING OUTTA THE BUSINESS OF THINGS.

SO THESE ARE THE NEW BUDGET GOALS.

AND, AND THESE HAVE HELD CONSTANT SINCE I'VE BEEN COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, WHICH STARTS WITH THE 2021 BUDGET AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE COVID YEAR.

UH, WE'RE, WE'RE NOW MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON ACTUALLY REDUCING THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH MEANS WE, WE LOOK MUCH MORE CLOSELY AT TAX LEVY THAN TAX RATE.

UH, WE STILL ARE, HAVE AN EYE ON DEBT, BUT WHEN I FIRST GOT TO THE COUNTY, UH, IT WAS PROBABLY A TOP THREE ISSUE.

UH, NOW I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN THERE'S SMART DEBT AND THERE'S DUMB DEBT, JUST DON'T HAVE DUMB DEBT.

UM, SEEK ADDITIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHARED SERVICES.

YOU HEAR MORE ABOUT THOSE AND YOU KNOW THAT IN PARTICULARLY, YOU JUST APPROVED A RESOLUTION FOR ANOTHER SHARED, SHARED SERVICE.

UH, WITH OUR SALES TAX, WE'LL CONTINUE THOSE.

UM, CONTINUING TO UN STOP NON MANDATES OR UNFUNDED MANDATES AND COMPLAIN ABOUT ONES THAT CONTINUE TO BE NON-FUNDED, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO EXECUTE.

WE STILL FAIL FAST AND CITIZEN SERVICES, UH, OF OUR PRIORITY PROGRAMS, UH, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND TO DO THAT, WE NEED THE BEST EMPLOYEES THAT WE CAN GET AND, UH, IMPLEMENT DANIEL PINK'S DRIVE AUTONOMY, MASTERY, AND PURPOSE.

[00:40:01]

THEY'RE SIMPLE.

IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN THE MOVIE, THE FIGHT CLUB, THAT'S WHERE WE GET THESE RULES FROM.

THE NUMBER ONE RULE FOR FLIGHT CLUB IS DON'T TELL ANYBODY ABOUT FLIGHT CLUB.

THE RULE, RULE NUMBER TWO IS REFER TO RULE NUMBER ONE.

UH, SO IT'S KIND OF THE SAME.

UM, IT'S NOT OUR MONEY.

IT'S THE PEOPLE, THE COUNTY'S MONEY, AND WE SHOULD TREAT IT ACCORDINGLY.

UM, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THAT ALL THE TIME WITH THE CABINET, UH, WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS AND WITHOUT COUNTY IN PLACE.

SO HERE'S THE BALANCING ACT THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE WE USED TO SPEND, I I SPENT A LOT OF TIME, UM, TALKING TO SUPERVISORS AND, AND EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.

UH, IT'S WHY WHEN POLITICIANS PAT THEMSELVES ON THE BACKS FOR TAX RATES DROPPING, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF GOVERNMENT MATH, UH, ALBEIT IT'S THIRD GRADE MATH, BUT NONETHELESS, IT'S, IT'S STILL GOVERNMENT MATH.

UM, SO WE, AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE SCALE, THERE HAVE TIPPED MUCH MORE IN FAVOR OF FOCUSING ON TAX LEVY, UH, IN THE PRESENT DAY BY FOCUSING ON THE TAX LEVY.

AND THIS IS WHAT THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNORS, UH, HAVE DONE.

AND I SAY GOVERNORS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN MULTIPLE, IT'S START STARTING UNDER, UH, GOVERNOR DOYLE BACK IN 2005, CONTINUING WITH GOVERNOR WALKER AND NOW ALSO UNDER GOVERNOR EVERS.

UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, THERE WERE INITIALLY IN OH FIVE, UH, WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE STRICT, UH, LEVY LIMITS AND, UH, UNDER GOVERNOR WALKER, THOSE WERE REALLY TIGHTENED UP.

AND THEY HAVEN'T, UH, CHANGED UNDER GOVERNOR REAVERS.

UM, THE, WHAT THE CURRENT, UH, STATE LAW IS, IS YOU CAN ONLY INCREASE, UH, PROPERTY TAXES, PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS BY WHAT'S CALLED NET NEW CONSTRUCTION.

THAT'S THAT TOP NUMBER.

UH, YOU CAN SEE TOTAL PROPERTY VALUE CHANGED BY ABOUT 8% IN 2026.

UM, BUT WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO INCREASE 1.6 BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE'VE HAD FOR THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT, WHICH IS NEW CONSTRUCTION, WHETHER IT'S A NEW HOUSE OR WHETHER IT'S A DECK OR A GARAGE.

UM, IN, IN, IN ALL, UH, SOME MODIFICATIONS HAVE HAPPENED TO THAT STATE LAW OVER THE YEARS, UM, INCLUDING YOU CAN KIND OF STACK IT UP OVER YEARS, NOT, NOT USE IT ONE YEAR AND THE NEXT YEAR USE THAT PLUS THE, THE FUTURE YEAR.

UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THAT, BUT WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF OPPORTUNITY.

IT'S, IT'S REFERRED TO AS CLAWBACK THAT WE COULD ALWAYS GO TO IF NEED BE, UH, IN, IN SOME KIND OF WORST CASE SCENARIO.

I'M NOT PROPOSING ANY OF THAT, BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY.

UM, IN MOST UNITS OF GOVERNMENT, THE EASIEST THING TO DO IS JUST TAKE THAT INTO CONSTRUCTION AND THEY DO.

SO HERE'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR TAX LEVY HISTORY.

UH, I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF SPAGHETTI TO, TO NOODLE, UH, AND, AND STRAIN YOUR EYES TAKING A LOOK AT.

UM, BUT THE SHORT VERSION IS, UH, THIS IS TAX LEVY.

SO THE AMOUNT WE COLLECT, THIS IS HOW YOU MEASURE, UH, THE GROWTH OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

UH, AND I THINK WHAT YOU WOULD FIND PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER PLACE, UH, IN WISCONSIN IS, LOOKS NOTHING LIKE OURS.

LOOKS.

THE GOLD LINE IS THE ACTUAL, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE COLLECTED.

UH, THAT WHITE LINE OR GRAYISH LINE ON THE TOP, UH, IS A COMBINATION OF WHAT WE COULD HAVE COLLECTED PLUS, UH, POTENTIAL DEBT PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ARE ALLOWABLE FOR LEVY INCREASES AS WELL.

IT'S A LITTLE CAVEAT IN THE LAW.

YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND AUTHORITY TO BORROW OVER A BILLION DOLLARS.

UH, IF YOU CHOSE TO DO IT TOMORROW AFTERNOON BY THREE QUARTERS VOTE, YOU COULD DO IT.

UM, AND THAT PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST PAYMENT OVER WHATEVER TERM YOU BORROW, THAT BILLION DOLLARS, UH, COULD SIMPLY BE A TAX LEVY INCREASE, UH, AT YOUR CHOOSING.

UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT.

UH, WHILE I'VE BEEN HERE TO DATE, UH, ALL OF OUR DEBT HAS BEEN SMART DEBT AND ALL OF OUR DEBT HAS BEEN PAID FOR WITHIN OUR MEANS.

UM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOREVER.

THAT'S NOT A REALISTIC GOAL.

UH, BUT TO HAVE SMART DEBT AND HAVE IT TIED TO THINGS LIKE RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND, AND, UH, LONG-TERM FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON.

THAT I WILL POINT TO IS TOTAL SPENDING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

UM, I PULLED, I NOTICED SOME OF YOU GOT THESE GREEN BOOKS FROM FORWARD ANALYTICS, WCA, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO STUDY THOSE.

UH, I HAPPEN TO HAVE 'EM EVERY EDITION, UH, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF TIME, WHICH ACTUALLY IS ONLY 2018, SO IT'S NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS IT SOUNDS.

UM, BUT GOING BACK TO 2020, WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, I PULLED THAT DATA.

AND, UH, IN TERMS OF FINANCE, TOTAL PER, PER SPENDING OR PER CAPITA SPENDING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, UH, WE WERE SPENDING ABOUT $611, UM, PER PERSON TOTAL SPENDING, WE WERE RANKED NUMBER TWO IN THE STATE.

WE'RE STILL IN THE TOP THREE.

WE'RE NUMBER THREE RIGHT NOW.

THE AVERAGE IN WISCONSIN BACK IN 2020 WAS $955 PER CAPITA.

UM, TODAY IT'S $1,213

[00:45:02]

PER CAPITA, AND WE'RE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 600 $800 TOTAL.

SO WE ARE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB THERE.

AND IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX LEVY, I THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING AS WELL.

UM, WE BACK IN 2020.

NOW, THIS IS BASED ON 1920 DATA.

UM, OUR PROPERTY TAX LEVY WAS NUMBER FOUR IN THE STATE, MEANING FOURTH LOWEST, FOURTH BEST, HOWEVER YOU WANNA MEASURE IT.

PROPERTY TAX LEVY DATA TODAY, UH, WE'RE SECOND LOWEST OR SECOND BEST.

UM, SO, AND IN 2020 IT WAS $2 AND 76, UH, $276 PER CAPITA.

AND TODAY IT'S 275.

SO, NICE JOB.

NICE JOB.

IT'S GONNA GET BETTER, JUST WAIT AND WATCH.

ALL RIGHT, SO SALES TAX, UM, HAS PERFORMED EXTREMELY WELL.

I DO WANT YOU TO LOOK AT, UH, ON THIS SLIDE, 2009, 2010.

AND REALLY YOU COULD LOOK, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY ALL THE WAY OUT TO, UH, TWO TH ABOUT 2016.

UM, SO FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, A LOT OF YOU WERE A CALL.

MUNICIPALITIES WERE POUNDING ON OUR DOOR ASKING FOR SALES TAX, AND, UH, THEY'VE BEEN ASKING THE STATE FOR ADDITIONAL SALES TAX.

COUNTY EXECUTIVES ELSEWHERE ARE ADVOCATING FOR MORE A LARGER SALES TAX INCREASE.

UM, AND I, I JUST WANT YOU TO NOTICE SALES TAX, WHEN IT'S GOOD, IT'S REALLY GOOD.

AND WHEN IT'S BAD, IT'S REALLY BAD.

UM, SO THAT IS THE GREAT RECESSION AND THE FEE, THE IMPACTS OF THE GREAT RECESSION.

IT IS THE PRIMARY REASON THAT I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF NOT ONLY HAVING OUR, UH, GENERAL FUND BALANCE, BUT ALSO A PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FUND, UM, THAT CHANGES EBBS AND FLOWS.

BUT IF WE WERE TO SEE A RECESSION, ANYTHING LIKE 2008, 2009, UM, IT COULD BE A VERY PRECIPITOUS DROP OFF.

UH, AND A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE FOR, FOR A FUTURE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COUNTY BOARD.

UM, IN TERMS OF TAX RATE HISTORY, I ALREADY SAID THAT THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, GOVERNMENT MATH, BUT IT IS A METRIC, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT A TERRIBLE METRIC.

UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUR PROPOSED BUDGETS ON THE FAR RIGHT AND ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE GREAT RECESSION.

UH, I'M EXCITED TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT THIS PROPOSED BUDGET IN 2026, UH, WILL BASICALLY TAKE OUR TAX RATE AND CUT IT IN HALF FROM WHAT IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE THE GREAT RECESSION.

UM, SO AGAIN, FANTASTIC WORK.

THAT IS A COMBINATION OF BASICALLY HOLDING THE LEVEE FLAT.

CAN YOU GO PREVIOUS SLIDE? UH, THANK YOU.

SO YOU'LL NOTICE HERE IN, UH, THIS IS THE TAX LEVEE, AGAIN, ON THE FAR RIGHT IN THAT GOLD COLUMN OR GOLD LINE.

UM, OUR, OUR 2026 LEVEES WILL DROP A BIT BY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

UH, AND IN 2027 GOES UP A BIT BY ABOUT A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS.

UM, EVEN WITH THOSE CHANGES, TAX RATE CONTINUES TO FALL PRECIPITOUSLY.

SO IT'S A COMBINATION.

THAT TAX RATE IS A COMBINATION OF OUTSTANDING, UH, E EQUALIZED VALUE GROWTH, PROSPERITY GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, UM, COMBINED WITH, UM, HOLDING THE LINE ON TAX LEVIES YEAR OVER YEAR, OVER YEAR OVER YEAR.

SO HERE ARE OUR PRIORITIES, THE STAY CONSTANT.

I THINK AT ONE TIME SOME COUNTY SUPERVISOR ASKED ME, WHEN DO WE GET TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE AND CHANGE 'EM, UH, AS SOON AS I'M GONE.

SO, 20 26, 20 27 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS.

UM, OVERALL THE TAX RATE IS THE SAME AS IT WAS BACK IN 1915.

UH, VERY CLOSE TO THE WORLD WAR I, UH, ERA.

UM, 2026, TAX LEVY IS LOWER THAN 2008.

I JUST SHOWED YOU THAT, UH, DROPS BY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

UM, AND, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT WHY, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

UM, EQUALIZE VALUE, AS I HAD MENTIONED, HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY.

UM, THIS IS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY IN ACTION.

UM, AND THEN $4.7 MILLION IN VALUE PROVIDED TO MUNICIPALITIES VIA SHARED SERVICES.

YOU'LL REMEMBER OUR GOAL WAS CLOSER TO 3 MILLION.

UM, SO WE'RE ABOUT 150%, JUST A LITTLE OVER THAT OF, OF OUR INITIAL GOAL.

FIRST, INVESTMENT INCOME GROWTH.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

SO A FEW, A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AND TO NOTICE AS YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS BUDGET.

YOU'LL REMEMBER, UH, WHAT I CALL BUDGET REPAIR RESOLUTION, UH, THAT MY STAFF DOESN'T LIKE TO CALL IT THAT.

SO WE CALL IT 2024, RESOLUTION 36.

UM, BUT THAT, THAT INVESTMENT INCOME GROWTH WAS ALREADY KIND OF BAKED INTO THE CAKE WHEN YOU PASS THAT BUDGET REPAIR RESOLUTION.

UM, HERE'S A NUMBER OF THE CHANGES YOU'RE GONNA SEE FROM 25 TO 26.

UM, I WILL NOTE, UH, WAGE GROWTH IS NOT, UM, TYPICAL TO WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER MY 12

[00:50:01]

YEARS HERE.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHILE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE GIVEN EMPLOYEES A 2% COST OF LIVING PLUS A 2%, UH, ON AVERAGE, UH, MERIT INCREASE.

UM, THIS, THIS PROPOSAL IS A COMBINATION 3%.

UM, SO IT IS LESS, UM, THAT IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM OTHER COUNTIES BASED ON OUR, NOT ALL COUNTIES ARE COMPLETED WITH THEIR WORK, OF COURSE.

UM, BUT THAT'S LARGELY WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS ABOUT A 3% INCREASE.

UM, SO WE'RE STAYING COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET, BUT IT IS MODESTLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

UM, STILL YOU SHOULD KNOW EVERY 1%, UH, IS APPROXIMATELY THREE AND A HALF TO $400,000.

UM, SO IF YOU GIVE A 1% INCREASE, YOU GOTTA FIND THREE 50, $400,000 FROM SOMEWHERE.

THE HEALTH INSURANCE IS THE BIGGEST REASON WHY.

WHILE WE SAW BIG SAVINGS LAST YEAR IN HEALTH INSURANCE, ABOUT 10%, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, WE'RE NOW FEELING WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS FEELING.

THE INITIAL REPORTS OF WHAT, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE WOULD BE AT WERE A 20% INCREASE.

UM, AARON WAS CRYING AND, AND LOSING SLEEP, AND I TOLD HIM, JUST WAIT, IT'LL, IT'LL COME DOWN.

AND THEN IT WAS 15 AND HE WASN'T CRYING ANYMORE, BUT HE WAS STILL LOSING SLEEP.

UH, AND, AND IN THE LAST WEEK OR TWO, IT, WE BROUGHT IT DOWN TO ABOUT 12%.

THERE AREN'T ANY DRASTIC CHANGES LIKE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS TO COPAYS OR DEDUCTIBLES OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, WE'VE MOSTLY ABSORBED THIS.

AND ALONG WITH EMPLOYEES, UH, WASHINGTON COUNTY PAYS 87.5% OF THE COST OF THE PREMIUM, UH, AND EMPLOYEE PAY, 12.5% OF, OF THE COST.

UM, A COUPLE OTHER, UH, REVENUE FUNDED POSITIONS THAT WERE CREATED.

SO IN 2026, IN 2027 IN PARTICULAR, UH, AND MAYBE I'LL GET TO THIS AGAIN IN A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT, UH, YOU'LL REMEMBER WE GOT A GRANT FOR THE THIRD, THIRD, FOURTH, FOURTH COS RESPONDER UNIT.

UM, SO THE OFFICER AND THE SOCIAL WORKER TOGETHER.

UM, IN 2027, THAT GRANT IS, IT EXPIRES IN 26 WHEN 27 WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR IT.

UH, THAT'S WHAT THE INCREASE IN LEVY IN 27 IS FOR.

UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEE BUDGETS AND DEPARTMENT BUDGETS.

UH, WHERE WE HAVE FROZEN POSITIONS, WE'RE EXPECTING RETIREMENTS TO BE FORTHCOMING.

WE FUNDED THEM ONE TIME, AND WE ARE NOT FUNDING THEM EITHER IN 2027, OR WE'RE NOT FUNDING THEM IN 28 WHENEVER THE, UH, RETIREMENT OCCURS.

THERE'S A, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THOSE.

SO THAT, UH, GOAL THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, UM, TAKING POSITIONS, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE RETENTION OPPORTUNITY, WE DO THAT.

UM, ALRIGHT, SO, UH, INFLATIONARY COSTS.

I I WILL BE RISK REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION IT BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A HUMONGOUS NUMBER.

UH, CONTRACTS IN PARTICULAR, ESPECIALLY, UH, THE JAIL MEDICAL CONTRACT WAS I THINK, 400,000, ALMOST $500,000 INCREASE.

YOU REMEMBER THE BUDGET REPAIR RESOLUTION ADDRESSED SOME OF IT.

WE HAD TO EAT THE REST OF IT.

SOME OF YOU'LL REMEMBER IN THIS PROCESS, WE ALWAYS USED TO SHOW YOU THE, THE SLIDE THAT HAD THE GAP.

WHAT IS THE COST TO CONTINUE? TYPICALLY FOR US, IT'S ABOUT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WHEN YOU START STACKING ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER.

IT WAS CLOSER TO ABOUT 300, 3 MILLION TO THREE AND A HALF MILLION, UM, THIS TIME.

SO IT WAS A HEAVY LIFT, ESPECIALLY TO TRY TO GET TO, UH, FLAT LEVY.

UM, WE WERE WORKING RIGHT UP UNTIL YESTERDAY, YESTERDAY, LATE AFTERNOON.

AND AARON WAS, AARON DIDN'T, HASN'T SLEPT FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO HERE'S SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES.

UM, SOME OF THESE YOU'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT AT COMMITTEE.

THANK YOU FOR AT LEAST BEGINNING THE DISCUSSION.

WE WANT TO TRY TO BE AS, UH, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN BE.

'CAUSE THESE ARE, THESE ARE SUBSTANTIVE, UM, FIRST COURT FUNDING.

UM, AGAIN, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THIS.

UM, COUNTIES ARE GETTING SCREWED.

UM, THE, THE STATE HAS REALLY FAILED, UH, TO KEEP UP WITH ITS FAIR SHARE OF FUNDING OUR COURT SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY, UH, AS, UH, COURT SECURITY COSTS HAVE INCREASED PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LAST, UM, ALMOST 20 YEARS, REALLY BACK.

YOU CAN GO BACK ALL THE WAY TO 2008, I THINK.

UH, SOMEWHERE IN THAT BALLPARK.

UH, WE ARE NOW SPENDING, UM, ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS ON COURTHOUSE SECURITY, WHICH REALLY WASN'T QUITE THE THING IT IS TODAY.

YEARS AGO, UM, COURT FUNDING NOW STATE IS CONTRIBUTING ABOUT 20% OF THE TOTAL OPERATING COSTS.

UM, SO COUNTIES ARE ON THE HOOK FOR, DEPENDS ON THE COUNTY, BUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 70 AND 80% OF THE COST FOR US, IF THE STATE WOULD'VE APPROVED A 50 50 PROPOSITION, UH, LIKE IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE BACK IN THE SEVENTIES, IT WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT A MILLION AND A HALF IN REVENUE.

UH, INSTEAD WE'RE EXPECTING, OH, 140, 150, SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE.

[00:55:01]

SO, UM, YEAH, NOT GREAT JAIL MEDICAL.

I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT COURTHOUSE SECURITY.

UM, I, I THINK I TALKED TO SOME OF YOU ABOUT THIS.

I BELIEVE PUBLIC SAFETY DISCUSSED IT SLIGHTLY, UM, TO GET TO BALANCED, UH, OUR INITIAL PROPOSAL HAD A $300,000 REDUCTION IN THAT MILLION DOLLAR NUMBER.

THAT'S A BIG, BIG REDUCTION.

IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT TWO FULL-TIME, UH, DEPUTIES, UH, OVER IN THE GOVERNMENT CENTER, OR EXCUSE ME, IN THE JUSTICE CENTER.

UM, WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF, UH, AND WORKING WITH, UH, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL.

UM, AND I, I'VE GOTTA TELL YOU, I KNOW YOU ALL HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER, WHAT, WHY WERE WE DOING THIS? WHY DID WE HAVE A-C-J-C-C? UM, IT WORKED FANTASTIC.

IT OPENED UP A CONVERSATION THAT WOULD REALLY NOT HAVE BEEN TERRIBLY, UM, POSSIBLE IN THE PAST.

UM, AND BETWEEN THE CJCC AND WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF, WE WERE TO ABLE TO GET THAT COURTHOUSE SECURITY NUMBER, UH, DOWN PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY.

UM, THE, THE REDUCTION WILL BE ABOUT HALF OF WHAT WE HAD INITIALLY TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT 150,000.

THERE'S GONNA BE SOME CHANGES TO HOW THINGS WORK, UH, IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS FUNCTION.

AND IF THE, THE SHERIFFS AND I TALKED ABOUT SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS TO EXECUTE IN 2027, UM, IN TERMS OF OPERATING THE JAIL, THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY CREATE SOME SAVINGS.

IF THOSE CAN BE ACHIEVED, WE'LL COME BACK WITH A BUDGET REPAIR RESOLUTION, PUT THE MONEY BACK INTO COURTHOUSE SECURITY, UH, AND, UH, AND HOPEFULLY GET BACK TO EVEN KEEL.

AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT STATE BUDGET, UM, SOME LEGISLATURE WILL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE A PROPOSAL TO FUND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE FUNDING, UM, TRANSIT COSTS.

THAT CONTRACT HAS ALSO INCREASED.

I FAILED TO MENTION THIS ON THE LAST SIDE.

UH, AND WE'VE GOT A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE COMING YET, UM, TWO YEARS FROM NOW, 2028.

SO YOU CAN ANTICIPATE A PRETTY HUGE INCREASE.

UM, AS LONG AS I'M HERE, UH, WE AREN'T GOING TO CUT SERVICES ANY FARTHER.

WE'VE GOTTEN CUT AS FAR AS WE CAN GO, IN MY OPINION.

UM, AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COUNTY GETTING OUT OF THE BUSINESS OF NURSE, OF THE NURSING HOME, WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE, OBVIOUSLY.

UM, THIS IS BASICALLY THE ONLY WAY FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S, WHO'S STUCK IN THEIR HOME TO GET AROUND.

UM, IT IS A SOCIAL SERVICE, BY DEFINITION.

IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE, EXPENSIVE SOCIAL SERVICE.

UH, BUT NONETHELESS, WITH A GROWING AND AGING POPULATION, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I'M ADAMANT WE'VE GOTTA KEEP DOING.

UM, REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEES.

UM, THIS IS A, I THINK A LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE ISSUE.

THERE IS AN ASSUMPTION IN THIS BUDGET, UH, THAT A REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE MODIFICATION OCCURS.

UH, AND IT'S, IT'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY THAT WOULD, WE WOULD POTENTIALLY SEE.

AND IT'S A SAVINGS TO, UH, PROPERTY TAXPAYERS, HOME BUYERS, HOWEVER YOU WANNA FRAME IT.

UM, BUT SO THE WISCONSIN REALTORS ASSOCIATION IS A ADVOCATE OF IT.

OBVIOUSLY COUNTIES ARE ADVOCATES OF IT.

UM, I THINK IT'S GOT GOOD POTENTIAL TO HAPPEN.

I'M JUST AFRAID NOT A DAMN THING'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE STATE CAPITAL FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.

UM, OUR BUDGET BANKS ON IT HAPPENING.

IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, WE'VE PROBABLY GOT A QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR, $300,000 HOLE, $325,000 HOLE.

SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING IT'S GONNA HAPPEN 'CAUSE IT'S COMMON SENSE AND ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTING IT.

UM, SEWER PACK, SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLAN COMMISSION IS NOT FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT THAT, BUT I, I WON'T FUND IT.

IF YOU PUT IT BACK IN, I'M GONNA VETO IT.

AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO OVERRIDE A VETO.

UH, THE YOUTH TREATMENT CENTER AND RIVER BEND, UM, WE ARE BUDGETING THAT AS CLOSED.

UH, EVERYBODY WHO'S NEEDED TO BE NOTIFIED HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.

UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GREAT.

WE'VE TRIED REALLY, REALLY HARD, UH, TO KEEP THINGS GOING, UH, AFTER A QUARTER CENTURY OF HAVING THAT OPERATING.

UM, BUT, BUT IT IS CLOSING AND IT'S A SIGNIFICANT, UH, PART OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET THAT I KNOW YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT OUR ALREADY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT.

UM, BUT IT'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN OPERATING SAVINGS FOR THE COUNTY.

UH, UWWC ALSO BUDGETED TO BE CLOSED AND SOLD.

UH, THAT'S ABOUT $600,000 IN OPERATING MONEY, UH, BOTH OPERATING IN CAPITAL OUTLAY.

ALL OF THAT MONEY WAS PUT TOGETHER AND PUT INTO THE OPERATING, UH, BUDGET NOW, UH, TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND THEN BRIDGE AID.

I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT BRIDGE AID, PARTICULARLY IN THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE.

UM, WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW IS THAT I AM LEAVING THE LEVY, UH, FLAT AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, BOTH IN 2026 AND IN 2027, UH, I AM PROPOSING THAT WE USE ONE TIME MONEY, UM, TO FUND THE, THE INCREASE THAT THE TOWNS ARE ASKING FOR.

I THINK IT'S AN EXTRA 150,000.

SCOTT, IS THAT RIGHT? TWO, YEAH, ROUGHLY.

PUT THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT UP AS A ONE-TIME EXPENSE.

UM, WE'LL

[01:00:01]

UM, I'M NOT RAISING TAXES.

AND SAME THING IF YOU PUT IT BACK IN, VETO IT AND THEN YOU CAN OVERRIDE MY VETO.

UM, SO HERE'S SOME OF THE SHARED SERVICES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, AS AARON, AS WE ALLUDED TO IN THESE, THIS SLIDE PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.

UH, WE'RE, WE FAR EXCEEDED OUR INITIAL GOALS.

UH, THIS IS JUST A LIST OF SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

UH, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND, AND SEE ALL OF THEM AND HOW THEY PROPORTIONAL OUT TO EVERY ONE OF YOUR MUNICIPALITIES THAT YOU REPRESENT.

UH, BUT LONG STORY SHORT, IT'S A, IT'S AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.

UH, THE ONE THAT I WILL POINT TO YOU, UH, IN PARTICULAR, UM, THAT HAS MAYBE SOME OPERATING IMPACT, UH, IS THE EMS AND FIRE GRANT.

WE ARE FUNDING IT ONE MORE TIME IN 2026, UH, WHERE YOU WE'RE PLANNING TO USE OPIOID SETTLEMENT MONEY, UH, TO FUND IT SPECIFICALLY FOR EMS. AND THEN IN 2027, WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.

IT'S NOT FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET.

WE ANTICIPATE WE WILL COME FORWARD WITH SOMETHING, UH, TO YOU, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET THE CARD OUT IN FRONT OF THE HORSE.

DAVE AND THE FIRE CHIEFS ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY, UH, SOON WITH THE MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATORS AND THEN WITH THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS.

UM, I'M HOPEFUL THAT BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF THE PAR, BEFORE JULY OF NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE SOMETHING TO PRESENT TO YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, SO WE REACHED OUT TO, UM, TAXING JURISDICTIONS AROUND US.

I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS FOR 10 YEARS.

WE'VE NEVER DONE IT, BUT WITH WHERE THINGS ARE CURRENTLY AT ECONOMICALLY AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE COMING, UH, IN TERMS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, PARTICULARLY COMING OUT OF THE STATE BUDGET, BASICALLY THE FULL INCREASE ASIDE FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, THE FULL INCREASE, UH, THAT SCHOOLS GOT, THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IN THE STATE CAPITAL IS RUNNING AROUND AND CELEBRATING ABOUT, UM, IS GOING TO COME TO YOU ON YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL.

UM, IT IS, THAT IS IN ESSENCE IT'S GOVERNOR EVER'S 402 YEAR VETO, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, SOME REPORTS HAVE HAD AT AN AVERAGE OF A $325 INCREASE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE PER HOME ON THE AVERAGE HOME.

UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL BE, UM, BUT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF IT.

UM, IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, UH, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, A $400,000 HOME IS PROBABLY LOOKING AT SOMETHING CLOSER TO A $400 INCREASE IF EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT TOOK THE FULL AMOUNT.

AND WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF SLINGER, WHO HAS A TRACK RECORD OF NOT ALWAYS MAC TAXING IN THE MAX, UM, WE HAVE, WE CAN AN ANTICIPATE THAT MOST OF THEM WILL.

UM, AND THAT WILL ALL BE PASSED ON TO PROPERTY TAXPAYERS.

UM, ON THE MUNICIPAL SIDE, YOU CAN SEE SOME RELATIVELY LARGE INCREASES THERE.

UM, SOME OF THEM ARE RELATED TO BUDGET, SOME OF THEM ARE NET NEW CONSTRUCTION.

UM, THERE'S SOME, YOU ALL KNOW THERE'S SOME MASSIVE, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.

UM, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE ABOUT A MONTH AHEAD OF ALL OF OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS, UH, IN PUTTING THESE BUDGETS TOGETHER.

UH, WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH.

YOU'RE JUST, IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, YOU'RE GONNA START HEARING ABOUT TAKING THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION PLUS SOME DEBT.

MORE THAN LIKELY, UH, LIKE I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THAT PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST PAYMENT, THEY CAN JUST INCREASE DEBT AND PUT THAT ON THE DEBT LE ON THE TAX LEVY, ON THE DEBT LEVY.

UM, I ANTICIPATE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO IT'S HARD FOR US TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE WHOLE OF THE TAX BILL, BUT WE'LL KEEP REPORTING IT BACK TO YOU.

IT'S THE BIGGEST REASON I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE HOLDING THE LINE ON, ON PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS, BECAUSE I THINK THOSE NUMBERS, IF SCHOOL DISTRICTS COME THROUGH WITH THREE, FOUR, $500 INCREASES.

IT'S VERY POSSIBLE, DEPENDING ON YOUR MUNICIPALITY, YOU COULD, YOU COULD BE APPROACHING A THOUSAND DOLLARS INCREASES ON AN AVERAGE HOME.

OKAY, SO HERE'S THE TWO ISSUES.

I, I ALREADY ALLUDED TO THE EMS, UH, ISSUE AND THE TASK FORCE WORK.

UH, THE OTHER ONE IS GOING, IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT.

UM, SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU WITH THIS SLIDE IS IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HOLD THE LINE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE BOTH OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE LARGE INCREASES TO OPERATING LEVY IN 2027.

UM, PUBLIC AGENCY CENTER, UH, COMING DOWN AND BEING BUILT OVER HERE.

IT'LL BE A, IT'LL BE GOOD DEBT.

IT'LL BE A LONG GAME IN THE LONG RUN.

WE'LL DO BETTER.

UM, BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY THE CAPITAL OUTLAY COSTS, UH, ON THE FRONT END.

SO, UM, THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL BE TALKING ABOUT, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, CONSIDERING NOTHING'S WRITTEN IN STONE, BUT, UM, YOU SHOULD ANTICIPATE IT COMING ONLINE IN 2027.

[01:05:01]

UH, THE SAME THING IS TRUE WITH FIRE AND EMS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S GONNA LAND.

UH, IN A PERFECT WORLD, UH, ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES LOWER THEIR LEVIES THAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR EMS TODAY, THE COUNTY TAKES ON LEVY, UH, AND IT'S A WASH TO THE TAXPAYER.

UM, IN THE MOST PERS PERFECT OF SCENARIOS, WE CAN REDUCE OUR LEVY A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BUYING POWER, UM, AND THEY ELIMINATE THEIRS.

UM, BUT IN ANY SCENARIO, CONSIDERING ADDING THAT MILLION DOLLARS, UH, THAT WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS TO HAPPEN.

THEY ARE FIR AND EMS IS, IS AT A BREAKING POINT.

UM, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW IT'S GONNA GET SOLVED.

AND IF WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE REFERENDUMS LIKE WE HAVE IN GERMANTOWN AND RICHFIELD, OR WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE CONSOLIDATIONS LIKE WE DID IN KIOSKI AND, AND WEST BEND.

I'M HOPING FOR THE LATTER, BUT IT VERY WELL COULD BE THE FORMER.

SO THOSE THINGS ARE ON THE HORIZON.

SO, UM, BEFORE WE JUMP TO THE KIND OF THE CONCLUSIONS OF THIS BUDGET, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE TOUCHED ON FUND BALANCE.

'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT FUND BALANCE OVER THE YEARS.

UH, IN PART IN PARTICULAR.

UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND, UH, AS REGARD.

THIS IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S LIKE HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY CONSOLIDATED.

UM, BUT, UM, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FUND IS ON THE FAR RIGHT, AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO.

UM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM TWO, THREE ROWS, I GUESS, UM, WE ARE USING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FUND, UM, TO DO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT I TALKED ABOUT.

THERE'S SOME ONE-TIME EXPENSES IN THERE.

THERE'S SOME PAY FOR SALARIES OF, OF POSITIONS WE KNOW ARE RETIRING AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BACKFILL.

UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF ITEMS OF THAT VARIETY.

WE'RE BASICALLY TRYING TO DO EXACTLY WHAT THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FUND WAS CREATED FOR, UH, TO HELP US BUY DOWN PROPERTY TAX LEVY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL WE COULD GET TO A POINT WHERE WE LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS IN 2027 AND 28 ARE THOSE.

SO YOU CAN SEE WE, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO MANAGE THAT NUMBER AND KEEP IT, UH, IN CHECK.

UM, AND WE WANNA ALSO BE PREPARED WHERE IF WE DID ACTUALLY GO INTO RECESSION, UM, WE HAVE SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GO OTHER THAN PROPERTY TAX LEVY INCREASES, WHICH YOU ALWAYS HAVE.

AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT TOO IN A SECOND.

SO WE WE'RE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THAT IN MORE DETAIL WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE.

BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE NOTE THAT I'VE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT FUND BALANCE, PARTICULARLY THE PROPERTY TAX RE RELIEF FUND.

WE WE'RE USING IT TO BALANCE BUDGETS, BUT NOT IN A STUPID WAY.

UH, WE'RE NOT SPENDING ONE TIME MONEY ON ONGOING EXPENSES.

WE'RE SPENDING ONE TIME MONEY ON ONE TIME EXPENSES TO BUY DOWN ONGOING, UH, UH, LIABILITY.

OKAY? BACK TO THE AVERAGE JOE HOMEOWNER.

UH, FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE WE START WITH THAT WE END WITH THAT.

UM, THIS IS WHAT WE ANTICIPATE TO BE COMING, UH, IN 2026.

IT'S OUR BEST GUESS.

UM, WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAIN, AND WE'RE GIVING SOME OF THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT HERE, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE 2026 BUDGET WE ANTICIPATE IS, IS GOING TO HAVE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT, UM, REDUCTION FOR THAT AVERAGE HOMEOWNER FOR THE COUNTY, UH, BY DOING THE GOOD WORK OF HOLDING THE LINE.

WE'RE BACK BELOW, UH, WHERE WE WERE AT, EVEN IN 2013, ALL THE WAY, OF COURSE, BACK TO 2008.

UM, AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT, AND I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT A WAYS TO GO.

ALL OF YOUR COMMITTEES ARE GOING TO MEET, UM, THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK LEFT AHEAD, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING.

AND WE WENT THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF COMPARING THESE OTHER ONGOING COSTS IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.

UM, AND WHAT THEY WERE BACK IN 2008 WHEN WE WERE THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER AT $232,000 FOR THEIR HOME, UH, WAS PAYING $709.

AND TODAY THAT HOME'S ALMOST ALMOST DOUBLED IN VALUE, AND THEIR COUNTY PORTION HAS ACTUALLY DROPPED, UM, BY WHAT, 40, $50 THERE.

UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT.

I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S ALSO ILLUSTRATIVE WHEN YOU SEE THE OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS, BUT IT'S EASY TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER GOVERNING BODIES AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ABILITY, OR BODIES, I SHOULD SAY, THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO SIMPLY RAISE TAXES TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS. UM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, OR THE QUASI-PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE CASE OF ELECTRIC BILLS, UM, IT'S STILL, IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN WASHINGTON COUNTY SINCE 2008.

AND THAT'S FIVE YEARS BEFORE I EVEN GOT HERE.

SO I CAN'T TAKE AND WON'T TAKE ALL THE CREDIT.

UM, BUT IT HAS BEEN THIS BOARD, IT'S BEEN PREVIOUS BOARDS, UM, CERTAINLY THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL.

AND KUDOS TO OUR CABINET.

[01:10:01]

UH, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

UM, THEY HAVE BOUGHT INTO THE CULTURE, UH, THE ETHOS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE VISION AND MISSION AND VALUES.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT DRIVES THAT NUMBER.

UM, I WOULD ARGUE YOU'RE LIVING IN A GOLDEN ERA.

YOU'RE NEVER GONNA SEE THIS AGAIN IN YOUR LIFETIME.

I, SO WITH THAT, UM, WE WILL PUBLISH THE, UH, BUDGET SUMMARY DOCUMENT, WHICH IS THAT BIG GIANT SPREADSHEET WE USED TO CALL THE SEA OF NUMBERS.

UM, THAT'LL COME OUT SHORTLY, UH, IN THE NEXT WHAT, COUPLE, COUPLE DAYS.

UM, I WAS GONNA SAY 24 HOURS, BUT THAT REALLY PUT AARON UNDER THE GUN.

SO WE'LL SAY 48.

COUPLE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

BY FRIDAY.

UM, AND THEN ALL, ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS, UH, FOR THE DEPARTMENTS WILL COME TO YOU IN YOUR, IN YOUR PACKETS.

UM, SO, UH, PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE.

UH, FROM THE, FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, UM, EVERY ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR, UH, SAT WITH MYSELF AND WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND CABINET MEMBERS WALKING THROUGH THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF EVERY BUDGET THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WILL RECEIVE.

AND, AND YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE DEPARTMENTS THAT RELATE TO YOU, INCLUDING THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE NUMBERS.

UH, THE REAL BINDER IS ABOUT EIGHT TIMES THIS, THIS WIDTH, THICK THICKNESS.

UM, ALL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL GET THAT.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT LEVEL OF MINUTIA, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ASK FOR IT, AND WE'LL GET YOU A COPY OF IT.

UM, BUT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE UNDER OUR CODE FUNCTIONS AS THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE.

SO WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR MEETING, UH, UPCOMING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ABOUT A MONTH TO DIGEST IT AND REVIEW IT.

AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK TO CABINET MEMBERS, TALK TO AARON DAHL, CERTAINLY, UH, MY OFFICE.

WE'RE HAPPY TO KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT'S THERE.

UM, AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT STEPS.

SO THE NEXT STEPS ARE YOU'LL GET THOSE BUDGETS IN COMMITTEE.

WHEN YOU'RE REVIEWING THESE BUDGETS IN COMMITTEE, YOU HAVE ALL, ALL THE AUTHORITY.

AS SOON AS I HAND THIS BUDGET OFF AND I'M DONE BLABBING, UH, IT IS IN YOUR HANDS.

UM, I PLEAD WITH YOU TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST, UH, AND NOT THE INSTITUTION, UH, IN THE BUREAUCRATS.

UM, BUT IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

UM, WE ARE SETTING UP THE PROCESS.

WE'RE MODIFYING IT A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR AND ASKING YOU, YOU CAN MAKE IT A MOTION IN COMMITTEE, UM, WHERE YOU COULD DECIDE WE WANT THIS PIECE OUT.

UM, BUT IT ALSO WILL BE THE, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A BOARD TO COME UP WITH.

HOW ARE YOU GONNA FUND IT THEN? UM, SO PLEASE WORK WITH AARON DAHL AND, UH, THROUGH THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE.

AND YOU CERTAINLY CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

UM, WE, WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU TO DO IT.

UM, AND I RECOGNIZE THERE'S A LOT OF MAJOR CHANGES IN THIS BUDGET THAT YOU'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT AT COMMITTEE LEVEL.

UH, AND THERE'S MORE THAT YOU'LL TALK ABOUT AT COMMITTEE LEVEL.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, FE FEEL FREE TO, TO MAKE WHATEVER MOTIONS YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO MAKE, UH, AND BE PREPARED.

IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT TOO.

SO, UM, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN FOR THE CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY SUPERVISOR.

BOSER, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEP.

SO, THE FIRST ONE, TRANSIT.

I'M GLAD YOU'RE KEEPING THAT THE SAME.

I KNOW IN MY DISTRICT, I HAVE A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS WHO DEPEND ON THAT SERVICE, SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

UM, YOU MENTIONED SEWER PACK, AND I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT'S A HEAVILY OVERPRICED SERVICE.

UM, WHAT I SEEM TO REMEMBER IS THAT THAT CAN HAVE SOME IMPACT ON OUR ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.

UM, AND I THINK WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION MAYBE EIGHT OR NINE YEARS AGO.

CAN , YOU KNOW, CAN YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY ON HOW THAT WORKS AND WHAT WORKAROUND YOU HAVE SO THAT THAT WON'T IMPACT, YOU KNOW, LIKE ROAD FUNDING GRANTS, FOR EXAMPLE.

I THINK OUR SEWER PACK MEMBERSHIP COULD AFFECT THAT.

SO IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT.

ACTUALLY ANY CONSEQUENCES.

UM, ANYTHING I SAY WILL BE HYPERBOLE IN RHETORIC.

'CAUSE THAT'S ALL ANYBODY HAS TO GIVE.

NOBODY ACTUALLY KNOWS THE ANSWER.

SO WHEN WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, UM, WE AREN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS WHEN THEY SAY THAT.

AND WHEN I, WHEN I SAY THEY, I MEAN, SEWER PACK HAS SAID THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE PAST.

WE CAN'T FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY THE CASE.

UH, WE ALSO CAN'T FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT IF WE PULL OUT THERE'S

[01:15:01]

UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT VAGUE IN THE STATUTE.

UM, I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE PULL OUT FOR THAT REASON I'M SUGGESTING WE PULL OUT BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING AND BEING ASKED TO SPEND ALMOST $200,000, UH, NEXT YEAR.

UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH 10 YEARS OF PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING.

I DON'T SEE WHERE OR HOW SEWER PAC FALLS INTO THAT LIST.

WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE NEAR $200,000 IN VALUE.

UM, AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED AT THE COUNTY, THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS FANTASTIC.

UH, EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE, WAS IN FRONT OF COUNTY BOARD.

SOME OF YOU'RE PROBABLY HERE, HE WAS HERE EVERY YEAR, HAD THOROUGH EXPLANATIONS.

UH, I MET THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ONCE, UM, WHENEVER THAT PERSON STARTED.

UM, NEVER SEEN HIM AGAIN.

SEEN THAT PERSON AGAIN.

SO I, WHEN I HAVE TO WEIGH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPENDING $200,000 IN SOMETHING, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M GETTING OUT OF IT ANYMORE.

, UH, VERSUS, WELL, THAT'S ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF A 1% INCREASE TO MY EMPLOYEES.

I, THAT'S NOT A HARD DECISION.

THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

I'M GLAD YOU GUYS DUG THAT DEEP INTO IT BECAUSE 200 GRAND IS A LOT OF MONEY TO BE SPENDING IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING FOR IT.

I AGREE.

WELL, IT'S SAD WHEN THE SEWER PACK BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRIVATELY COMING UP TO ME AND EXPRESSING THEIR FRUSTRATION.

UH, AND WE'RE THE ONLY COUNTY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO COUNTY DROPPED OUT? WHAT WAS IT, 15 YEARS AGO? SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, DOR COUNTY IS STILL ABOVE WATER.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR SHARIN.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

THANK YOU, JOSH.

UH, SO FOR THE RECORD, I'M INTRIGUED WITH THE BRIDGE AID.

I'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SCOTT AND IF, IF WE CAN MAKE IT WORK, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA.

SO THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP, SUPERVISOR, M**K.

UH, POSITION THAT IS CURRENTLY ELIMINATED IN 2027.

UH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.

UH, AARON AND I, I KNOW THAT I'LL SEE THIS.

SO WHAT'S THE TOTAL BUDGET IN 26 COMPARED TO 25? TOTAL? TOTAL SPENDING? YEAH.

TOTAL SPEND IN REAL DOLLARS OR IN PERCENTAGE CHANGE.

WE'LL LOOK IT UP AND ANSWER.

IF YOU WANNA KEEP MOVING, WE'LL COME, WE'LL GET AS SOON AS HE PULLS IT BACK UP.

WE'LL, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW.

SUPERVISOR CONRAD.

OH, THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, YEAH, FIRST TWO, I'D LIKE TO STATE, I, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE TRANSPORTATION STILL IN THERE.

YOU'LL HELP CARE FOR OUR CITIZENS REALLY CROSS THE LIFESPAN.

UM, AND YEAH, THOSE SERVICES ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED BY, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN POPULATION OF OUR COUNTY THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THINGS.

UM, AND YEAH, ALSO TO, YOU KNOW, SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE, UM, SECURITY THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK SOMETHING OUT THERE AND KEEP REASSESSING THAT AS YOU STATED.

UM, AND REGARDING SEWER PACK TOO, I AM, UM, EXPLORING THAT WITH THE, THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT I SUPPORT TOO.

AND THE LOCAL PURITIES IS ASKING THEIR, UM, INSIGHTS ON WHAT THE IMPACT POTENTIALLY MIGHT BE.

AND ACTUALLY SO FAR THEY'RE, UM, THEY DON'T SEE AN IMPACT AT THIS TIME IS THE RESPONSES I'VE JUST GOT BACK, UM, TODAY.

SO, BUT I'LL, YOU KNOW, KEEP EXPLORING, TRYING TO LOOK AT, AT BOTH SIDES OF THAT.

BUT I WOULD YEAH, DEFINITELY RATHER SEE, UM, MONEY TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, SECURITY OR TRANSPORTATION IF IT COMES TO THAT.

UM, AND THEN SOME QUESTIONS THOUGH TOO.

YEAH, IT LOOKS GREAT THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, KEEP, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY HOLDING ANY OR TAXES OR, YOU KNOW, DECREASING THEM.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AT ONE IMPORTANT TO BECOME TOO LEAN.

AND THEN YOU SPOKE OF TWO, YOU KNOW, NO DEBT BEYOND OUR MEANS, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE DEFINED DIFFERENTLY BY, YOU KNOW, ME VERSUS YOU OR, UM, SO CAN YOU MAYBE, YOU KNOW, DEFINE NO DEBT BEYOND OUR MEANS AND LIKE AT WHAT POINT DO WE POTENTIALLY COME TOO LEAN AND GET OURSELVES IN TROUBLE? I, I DON'T SEE THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT IT IS A CONCERN.

UM, I'LL TRY TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS IN ORDER.

UM, THE, TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT COURTHOUSE SECURITY, THERE IS ONE FULL-TIME,

[01:20:02]

UM, THAT IS THE POSITION THAT THE SHERIFF AND I AND, UH, ADMINISTRATION WILL WORK TOGETHER TO TRY AND FIND OTHER REVENUE SOURCES, PARTICULARLY IN THE JAIL, BUT ALSO OTHER PLACES.

UM, AND IF WE CAN FIND IT, IT WILL BACKFILL THE, THAT POSITION.

UM, SO JUST TO BE REAL TRANSPARENT AND SPECIFIC ABOUT IT, UM, THE BALANCE OF THE SAVINGS IN, IN COURTHOUSE SECURITY IS WHAT I TALKED ABOUT WITH, UH, TRANSPORTATION OF, UM, SOME TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT COSTS.

UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT WORKED OUT.

UM, IN TERMS OF SEWER PACK, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THERE'S, THERE'S NO IMPACT.

I THINK MAYBE OFF THE TOP OF PEOPLE'S HEADS, THEY DON'T THINK OF THINGS.

UM, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE AN IMPACT.

UM, I JUST CAN'T JUSTIFY, IN MY MIND, SPENDING $200,000 A YEAR OF OPERATING MONEY.

ESSENTIALLY, OUR SALARY, IF YOU WILL, UH, ON THINGS THAT COME UP, ONESIE, TWOSIE.

SO, YOU KNOW, AN AQUATICS, INVASIVE SPECIES PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE, IS SOMETHING SEWER PACK CAN AND HAS HELPED US WITH IN THE PAST.

OR A LAKE MANAGEMENT PLAN COULD BE SOMETHING A PRD MIGHT ASK FOR.

UM, MAYBE THEY THINK TWICE NOW THAT WASHINGTON COUNTY IS NOT, UM, FUNDING THEIR, UM, BUREAUCRATIC OPERATION.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, FOR THE ONE TIME, WE NEED THAT IN A DECADE, WE CAN FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR IT IF WE REALLY NEED IT.

I MEAN, THE BIGGEST ARGUMENT I'VE HEARD BACK EVEN FROM OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS IS, WELL, WE'VE GOTTA DO THESE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.

ACTUALLY, THE STATE STATUTE SAYS YOU HAVE TO UPDATE YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS, PERIOD.

SO YOU COULD LITERALLY CHANGE THE DATE.

AND, UH, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I THINK ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE PLANS ANYWAY.

UM, BUT THEN GETTING TO YOUR SPEC SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT DEBT LIVING WITHIN OUR MEANS.

SO HISTORICALLY, WHAT I HAVE, I MEAN BY THAT, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, UH, THAT SOME FUTURE BOARD AND SOME FUTURE EXECUTIVE, UM, CAN DO BASICALLY ANYTHING THEY WANT.

UM, BUT WHAT I MEAN, HISTORICALLY, CAN YOU PULL UP, UM, THAT SLIDE DECK AGAIN ON THE TAX LEVY? MM-HMM .

DID YOU FIND IT? I DID, YEAH.

WHILE WE'RE PULLING THIS UP, UH, WHAT IS THE, DO YOU WANT TO TELL WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE? YEAH, SO THE, THE TOTAL SPEND FOR 2026 WAS 139,434,000.

UH, TOTAL SPEND IN 2025 WAS BUDGETED AT 139,473,000.

SO A REDUCTION OF ABOUT 40, 39,000 IN SPENDING FROM BUDGET TO BUDGET.

AND THAT NUMBER IS DOWN FROM I THINK, 2024, THE FIRST YEAR OF THE BIENNIUM.

'CAUSE WE HAD A BIG SPIKE IN ROAD SPENDING THAT YEAR.

SO ALTHOUGH WE HAD THE CASH, IT LOOKED LIKE, OH MY GOSH, WE SPENT 7 MILLION.

WELL, YEAH, BUT WE HAD SAVED OVER YEARS.

SO IT'S WHY I DON'T KNOW THOSE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, .

UM, BUT WE'LL GET TO THAT DEBT, THAT DEBT GRAPH IN JUST ONE SECOND.

UM, BUT WHAT I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT IS, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT GOLD LINE THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND HOW IT STAYS FLAT, I TREAT THAT LIKE IT'S THE COUNTY'S SALARY.

LIKE THIS WAS OUR HOME.

WE MAKE $40,000 A YEAR.

THAT 40,000 MIGHT GO UP A TICK EVERY YEAR, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA GO UP ANOTHER 40,000 IF I BUY A NEW CAR.

AND I, I, I LEND OVER EIGHT YEARS, I HAVE TO PAY THAT PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST.

I DON'T JUST GET TO GO TO THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE AND SAY, HEY, CAN I GET THE 800 BUCKS A MONTH? UM, I HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN THAT $40,000.

SAME THING WE DO WITH OUR OPERATING LEVY.

UM, CAN WE, CAN WE PULL UP THE SCREENS AGAIN PLEASE? UM, SO THAT HAS BEEN, WHEN I SAY LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS, THAT HAS BEEN WHAT I HAVE TALKED ABOUT.

WE ALSO HAVE NOT DONE ANY KIND OF MAJOR EXPANSION OR REMODELING ASIDE FROM ROAD FUNDING, WHICH IS FOR THAT WE CREATED THE TRANSPORTATION 2050 PLAN.

SO THE PAC CLOSURE AND BUILDING NEW, I WOULD LOOK AT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE, WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF PROPERTY BACK ON THE TAX ROLL.

SO WE'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION COMING.

BUT THIS IS THE SLOT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

SO THE GOLD LINE IS WHAT I BASICALLY TREAT, LIKE THAT'S OUR MEANS.

THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE MAKE PER YEAR, UH, AT MCDONALD'S.

THAT'S WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE WITHIN.

AND IF THE UTILITY BILL GOES UP, THAT MEANS SOMETHING ELSE HAS TO GO DOWN.

UH, WE GENERALLY DON'T INCREASE.

AND YOU CAN SEE FROM 2014, THAT WAS THE FIRST YEAR I WAS HERE TILL NOW.

I MEAN, IT BASICALLY HAS BEEN YOU PUT A PENCIL ON AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH STATIC.

AND FROM 2008 TILL NOW IT IS STATIC.

SO THAT'S ONE.

DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, THANK YOU.

YES.

ANY, JUST PERSONALLY TOO, IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE, I DON'T BORROW FOR A CAR

[01:25:01]

OR A BOAT OR ANYTHING.

IF WE CAN'T PAY CASH, WE DON'T BUY IT.

UM, SO THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH, I PERSONALLY.

I MEAN, THAT'S A LOVELY, LOVELY IDEA.

I MEAN, IN A HOME, CERTAINLY, BUT I MEAN, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, YOU BUILD A NEW BILL.

HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD BUILD A HOUSE WITH CASH? I'M SURE I DON'T, DON'T, I'M NOT ASKING LITERALLY FOR EVERY SHOW OF HANDS, BUT MOST PEOPLE WILL NOT BUILD A HOUSE WITH CASH.

OR MAKING PROOF.

AND IN, IN GOVERNMENT IN PARTICULAR, THAT HOUSE HAS, UM, USEFUL LIFE OF PROBABLY 50 TO A HUNDRED YEARS.

MM-HMM .

HAVING ALL THE TAXPAYERS AT ONE TAME PAY THE FULL CASH AMOUNT FOR WHAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BENEFIT FOR IT FROM, FOR A HALF A CENTURY OR A CENTURY, I THINK IS NUTS.

SO, UM, NOT TO MENTION THE TIME VALUE OF MONEY AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BUT, BUT LONG STORY SHORT MM-HMM .

IF IT'S ESSENTIALLY OPERATING STUFF THAT WE HAVE TO DO ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE ROADS OPERATIONAL, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, ALL THAT STUFF, WE LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS.

AND I'M SORRY, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY ONE THING TOO.

SURE.

REGARDING THE NO IMPACT ON, UM, SEWER PACK, I SHOULD KINDA REITERATE MYSELF.

THERE'S NOT MAJOR CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED YET.

'CAUSE I I WAS, I WASN'T CERTAIN.

AND SO I'M TRYING TO SEEK THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ANSWERS YOU TOTALLY WORTHWHILE DISCUSSION.

UH, THANK YOU EXECUTIVE FOR THAT, THAT OVERVIEW.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE EXPANDED SHARED SERVICES, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT THING.

UM, BUT WHERE, WHERE YOUR OVERVIEW OF THE SALES TAX, WHICH PAYS FOR QUITE A BIT OF THOSE SHARED SERVICES, INCLUDING JUST THE ACTIONS TONIGHT.

MIND YOU, IT WAS A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS HERE, 15, 20,000 THERE.

BUT MY REQUEST OF, UH, MAYBE THE PRESENTATIONS TO EACH OF THE COMMITTEES IS IN THOSE COMMITTEES WHERE THERE'S SALES TAX THAT ARE FUNDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES, UM, AND THOSE SALES TAX WERE TO DECREASE OR PLUMMET, LIKE WE'VE SEEN IN THE RECENT PAST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU REMEMBER FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE FROM WHAT WAS PROJECTED.

UM, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN EVENTUALLY.

UM, SO IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN IN 26 AND 27, UM, WHAT WOULD THAT IMPACT BE IF WE HAVE LESS, UH, COUNTY SALES TAX COLLECTION, ACTUAL COLLECTION? 'CAUSE WE'D HAVE TO PAY FOR IT SOMEWHERE.

SO THAT'S WHAT I, I THINK WOULD BE PRUDENT TO UNDERSTAND IN EACH RESPECTIVE COMMITTEE.

UM, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION AT SOME POINT IN TIME IF IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, EH, BUT IF IT'S 2 MILLION OR 3 MILLION, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.

SO I, I, I WOULD ASK THAT COMMITTEE CHAIRS OR, UH, JOSH, UH, SORRY.

UH, AARON DAHL'S OFFICE, SOMEBODY PUT THAT, CAPTURE THAT FOR US SO WE HAVE THE UNDERSTANDING.

'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION IF IT COMES TO THAT.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOING THAT FOR PROBABLY A DECADE AND IT'S NEVER GOTTEN DONE.

UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT PUTTING IN THE FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN, AND SOME OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, UH, THE DECISION WAS NOT TO DO THAT.

UM, SO I, I ENCOURAGE THE BOARD AS PART OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANNA SEE, UM, YOU SHOULD DO IT.

I JUST WARN YOU, UH, IF YOU DO IT, YOU BETTER BE READY TO LIVE UP TO IT.

AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT.

UM, THAT, I'M SURE THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T DO IT IN THE PAST.

UM, ASK THE PEOPLE IN ILLINOIS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE TO SURVIVE ON SALES TAX.

UM, THEY LITERALLY WERE CUTTING COPS AND FIREFIGHTERS BACK IN 2008, 2009, 2010.

SO I'M NOT SAYING YOU SHOULDN'T DO IT, BUT THIS IS, THAT'S A DECISION, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE COUNTY BOARD OUGHT TO MAKE.

BECAUSE THE WAY THAT WE'VE OPERATED SINCE 1999 WHEN WE ADOPTED THE SALES TAX LARGELY HAS BEEN SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAX BASICALLY JUST GO INTO ONE BUCKET AND YOU CAN'T TELL WHICH WHICH IS WHICH.

IT'S JUST TAXPAYER MONEY.

SO I WOULD SUGGEST IF WE WANT TO GO DOWN THAT PATH, IT SHOULD, IT SHOULD BE A STRATEGIC PRIORITY AND REALLY BE THOUGHTFUL.

LIKE THE WHOLE BOARD CHIMES IN ON THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE THAT WE'RE WILLING TO SAY IN A RECESSION AND WE'RE NOT DOING IT ANYMORE.

SUPERVISOR KREBS.

EXTENDED HOURS PLUS SATURDAYS.

HOW DOES THAT IMPACT AND ON THOSE SECURITY OPERATIONS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, WHEN WE GET TO THAT BUDGET THAT COMES TO YOU IN, IN ON FRIDAY, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, UH, OR, OR WILL NOT HAVE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR

[01:30:01]

UM, I'VE GOTTA, WE'VE GOTTA GO BACK AND DIG AND FIND IF WE'VE GOT ONE OR THE OTHER.

BUT, UM, IF, IF YOU WANT EXTENDED HOURS, YOU HAVE TO FUND COURTHOUSE SECURITY TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.

UM, SO WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT WHEN WE'VE HAD EXTENDED HOURS TO DATE.

YOU KNOW, WE OPEN UP ON SATURDAYS, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, SO IT IS A DECISION THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO MAKE, UM, AND VERY MUCH A PRIORITY BASED CHOICE.

UH, THE SAME THING REALLY SHOULD BE TRUE FOR THIS BUILDING.

ONCE WE CLOSE THAT ENTRANCE, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC AND ALL THEY HAVE IS THE EAST ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING.

DO YOU WANT DEPUTIES PRESENT AND EVERYBODY SCREENED? UM, THIS IS GONNA GO HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE CONVERSATION ABOUT CONCEALED CARRY, WHICH IS GONNA HAPPEN.

'CAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU CAN BE CARRYING ON THE GOVERNMENT CENTER SIDE, YOU CANNOT ON THE JUSTICE CENTER SIDE, AS WE FOUND OUT IN THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPER.

SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO START WRESTLING WITH THAT YES.

AS PART OF THE BUDGET, BUT ULTIMATELY, UM, WHEN YOU'D MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT CONCEALED CARRY OR NOT IN THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.

SO AT THIS TIME, IT'LL BE A COMMON ENTRANCE, BUT IT'S STILL GONNA BE UNFUNDED IF, IF WE WANNA MAKE IT A SECURED ENTRANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.

I CAN'T EXACTLY REMEMBER IF WE FUNDED BOTH EX, YOU KNOW, 10 HOUR DAYS PLUS SATURDAYS OR IF IT WAS JUST ONE OR THE OTHER.

BUT WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT.

BECAUSE WE DON'T DO IT TODAY.

SO IT'S EXPENSIVE.

I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT CHEAP.

YOU DO EXTENDED HOURS PLUS SATURDAYS, YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT 50 GRAND FOR THE YEAR.

UM, I, I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT NOT HAVING SEWER PACK.

UM, AND I DO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE MUNI MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IF WE DO NOT HAVE STEWARD PAC, THEN NONE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY WILL HAVE IT.

CORRECT.

NOBODY KNOWS .

I SERIOUSLY, WE'VE BEEN RUNNING AROUND ON THIS FOR THREE MONTHS AND, UM, I'M EXCITED TO GO TO WCA CONFERENCE TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE FROM DO COUNTY BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT IS NOT HOW IT ENDS UP WORKING.

BUT I WANNA HEAR IT FROM THEM.

FROM THEM.

SHARED SERVICES WHEN THE, WHEN THE GROUP FIRST CAME TO ALL THE, UM, CAME AROUND ASKING FOR A SHARE IN THE SALES TAX DOLLARS, THEY KIND OF HAD IT BROKEN UP.

AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WITH HOW BIG WE ARE ON SHARED SERVICES, THIS TO ME IS A SHARED SERVICE THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES.

SO I LOOK AT IT MORE AS A, SOMETHING FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES.

UM, I WAS LOOKING ON MY DESK, TRYING TO SEE NOW WHAT WAS THE LAST THING I GOT FROM SEWER PACK.

UM, AND I THINK IT WAS THE HAZARD MITIGATION, UM, STUDY, I THINK COULD BE RIGHT.

UM, THEY JUST DID ONE FROM MILWAUKEE COUNTY, SO I'M OKAY.

SOUNDS RIGHT.

UM, AND UH, AND I KNOW FOR THAT PART OF THE QUESTIONS WERE, WELL, WE NEED TO HAVE THESE IN ORDER TO BE, UM, ELIGIBLE FOR A FEMA GRANT.

SO, UM, AND I, IN THE PAST I HAVE TALKED WITH, UM, OUR MUNICIPALITIES, UM, OR MINE.

UM, AND IT'S COME IN HANDY FOR WATER QUALITY TESTS THAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, OF COURSE WE GET OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOU ON COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, BUT, UM, UH, BUT I ALSO DON'T KNOW IF SEWER PACK MIGHT HAVE BETTER, UH, THINGS LIKE GIS UH, IF THEY HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT THAT THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE, AND IF THAT WOULD LIMIT US AND END UP BEING MORE EXPENSIVE IN THE LONG RUN IN ORDER TO USE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO UPGRADE ANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS LIKE GIS AND .

YES, THEY DO HA THEY DO FLY LIDAR.

UM, I THINK IT'S EVERY OTHER YEAR.

UM, IT'S, IT'S SUPER, SUPER HIGH QUALITY.

OUR GIS DEPARTMENT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD.

I MEAN, JUST GO TO OTHER COUNTY WEBSITES AND LOOK AT THEIR GIS, IT'S KIND OF MM-HMM .

IT'S A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSING ALMOST HOW GOOD OURS IS.

BUT, UM, BUT YES, LIDAR DATA IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE JUST COULDN'T, WE CAN'T GET IT AS OFTEN.

I THINK THERE'S A DISCUSSION AND MAYBE EVEN AN ARGUMENT OVER WHETHER OR NOT ONCE SEWER PACK HAS IT, WHO IS OPEN TO, UH, OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS IF THEY HAVE TO SHARE IT WITH US.

UM, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS THE QUAGMIRE OF DO WE NEED TO BE IN, DON'T WE NEED TO BE IN MM-HMM .

ARE THEY GONNA TAKE WHERE OUR BIRTHDAYS, ALL THINGS CHANGE LIKE DAILY WITH GIS.

SO TO HAVE AN, UM, UPDATED IS, UH, NEEDED.

I THINK.

UM, AND THEN MY OTHER COMMENT IS YOU COULD DO A LOT OF FLIGHTS FOR 200 GRAND JUST SAYING , UH, WITH THE, UM,

[01:35:01]

LIKE, UH, EACH MUNICIPALITY WOULD GET HOWEVER MUCH OF THE SALES TAX.

AND WITH OUR SHARED SERVICES, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THOSE ARE BEING USED FAIRLY, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTY WITH, WITH EVERYONE, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO KNOW.

AND I, RIGHT NOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT LIKE EXACTLY HOW MUCH EACH MUNICIPALITY IS GETTING MM-HMM .

BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF THERE'S ONE MUNICIPALITY THAT'S GETTING WAY MORE, PERHAPS THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CUT IN OUR BUDGET IF WE'RE TRYING TO WEIGH OUT SEWER PAC VERSUS THAT.

JUST MY THOUGHT.

THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

SO YOU CAN GO TO MY WEBSITE, LIKE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE PORTION, UM, AND SEE LIKE, WHICH EVERY MUNICIPAL, WHAT EVERY SINGLE MUNICIPALITY IS GETTING.

IT'S NOT LIKE LIVE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT LAGS AND IT'S BUDGET NUMBERS VERSUS ACTUALS.

IT'S, IT'S NOT, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO SEE IF IT'S, UM, GOOD PROPORTIONATELY BECAUSE, AND EVERY MUNICIPALITY IS THE SAME SIZE.

SO YEAH.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IT LOOK, IT APPEARS LIKE SOME ARE NOT GETTING ANYTHING AND THEN VERSUS, WELL, THEY'RE GETTING SOMETHING BUT COMPARED TO OTHERS, RIGHT? YES, THAT'S TRUE.

AND IT, IT WILL REMAIN A LITTLE BIT LOPSIDED AS LONG AS WE KEEP DOING HELPING REPAIR AND REPLACE LEAD LATERALS.

'CAUSE THAT'S SUCH A CAPITAL INTENSIVE.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND ONE OF THE COMMITTEES DIVE INTO AND, YOU KNOW, AARON AND THE TEAM AND, UM, CAN CERTAINLY GIVE YOU ALL KINDS OF, THEY CAN PUT YOU TO SLEEP WITH DATA.

I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION.

THE ROADS IS EXCELLENT ABOUT GETTING BACK TO EVERYONE ABOUT HERE'S WHERE YOU ARE AT AND HOW MUCH MM-HMM .

YOU KNOW, UM, IS ALLOTTED TO YOUR MUNICIPALITY.

AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, I DIDN'T, I GUESS I DIDN'T MENTION THIS IN THE PRESENTATION, IT'S A LITTLE BIT IN THE WEEDS, BUT THE ROAD PORTION OF SHARED REVENUE ACTUALLY GOES DOWN SLIGHTLY.

IS IT IN 27 OR 26? BOTH.

BOTH.

IT GOES DOWN A TICK BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OTHER SERVICES THAT HAVE GONE UP.

LIKE WE DIDN'T TOTALLY ANTICIPATE THE NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES WANTING SHARED IT AND SHARED GIS.

UM, BUT IT'S SUBSTANTIAL.

I MEAN, YOU ALL KNOW YOU'RE APPROVING THEM LIKE EVERY MONTH.

SO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT ON AN EVEN KEEL WHERE IT DOESN'T GO FROM 3 MILLION TO 6 MILLION.

UM, BUT IT IS, IT'S RISEN DEMONSTRABLY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANYONE ELSE? HUH? GUESSING IT'S MY TURN.

I'VE BEEN IN THE SEWER PACK FOR MOST OF MY YEARS ON THE COUNTY BOARD AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOOD IT DOES US, YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY USED TO COME AND SELL THEMSELVES TO US EVERY YEAR, AND THAT'S FALLEN APART.

UM, I SENSE THAT IT WOULD COST US SOMETHING, BUT IT'S LIKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE'VE DONE, CALL IT A PILOT PROJECT, WE'RE GONNA PULL OUT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

THAT'S THE SMART.

UM, SO I MEAN, I COULD GO TO BAT FOR THEM, BUT I'M NOT INCLINED TO DO SO AT THIS POINT.

SO WE'LL SEE WHERE IT GOES.

AND I DID, I BELIEVE THEY CAME TO LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, RIGHT? YEAH.

YEAH, I MEAN, LIKE THE LIDAR, IT'S, DO WE PROVIDE A CHEVY OR A CADILLAC SERVICE AND WHAT ARE WE REQUIRED TO DO AND WHAT DO THE TAXPAYERS WANT US TO DO WITH THEIR MONEY? THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.

SO THANK YOU.

ANYBODY WANT TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT SALARY? NO.

I TWO.

NO.

AND EXECUTIVE SHOWMAN WANTS IT TO PUT IN 2 CENTS.

PAY INCREASE FOR THE COUNTY BOARD.

UM, LOOKING FOR SOME DISCUSSION, IT SEEMED LIKE GENERALLY WE, WE WERE IN FAVOR OF IT WHEN WE HAD OUR, UM, GET TOGETHER AT FROZEN LAC LARON.

UM,

[a. Pay Increase for the County Board]

I JUST, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT AT THE TAIL END.

UM, THERE IS AN INCREASE ACTUALLY IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET.

IT'S ALREADY IN THOSE NUMBERS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT.

AARON, DO YOU, IS IT FIVE AND FIVE OR, YEAH, IT, SO YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT AS YOU'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.

RIGHT.

SO THE, THE, UH, BUDGET CONTAINS A

[01:40:01]

5% INCREASE EFFECTIVE WITH THE START OF THE NEW TERM IN 2026.

AND THEN, UH, AN AN ADDITIONAL 5% STARTING IN JANUARY WITH THE FIRST OF THE YEAR IN 2027.

SUPERVISOR BOSER.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT GONNA BEGRUDGE ANYBODY FOR THEIR OPINIONS ON THIS ISSUE.

UM, I DO RECALL THE, UM, RETREAT AT LAC LARON.

I RECALL THE CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS, AND I RECALL AT THE TIME HAVING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT BEING SOMETHING WE'D VOTE ON IN THE FUTURE.

AND WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO BRING UP COMMENTS IN THAT FORUM WHEN THERE WAS NO PUBLIC THERE, THERE WAS NO AGENDA, NO NOTICE TO THEM.

UM, I HAVE A FEELING SOME OTHER SUPERVISORS FELT THE SAME WAY AND WITHHELD ANY COMMENTS THEY MAY HAVE HAD.

SO I JUST KIND OF WANNA PUT THAT ON THE RECORD STARTING OUT.

UM, I, MY OPINION, I DID NOT GET ELECTED TO VOTE MYSELF A PAY INCREASE.

UM, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE CHOSEN, AND THESE ARE MY CHOICES, I DON'T EVER CLAIM MILEAGE.

AND THAT INCLUDES GOING TO WCA EVENTS.

UM, I'VE DECLINED ALL PER DIEMS. UM, IN FACT, I'VE GIVEN, UH, OUR COUNTY CLERK A STANDING ORDER TO JUST NOT EVEN TRACK IT, TO DON'T TRACK WHAT MEETINGS I'VE GONE TO I DON'T WANT PER DIEMS. UM, I DONATE ONE MONTH OF MY SALARY EVERY YEAR TO THE UNITED WAY.

I DO SPREAD IT OVER 12 PAYCHECKS.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE I TAKE ONE BIG HIT AT ONCE.

I ALSO DONATE PORTIONS OF MY SALARY TO OTHER CAUSES AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

AND I'M GUESSING MANY COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISORS MAKE SOME SIMILAR CHOICES TO THAT.

NOW, IF YOU GUYS CHOOSE TO VOTE A PAY RAISE, I'M GOING TO INCREASE MY DONATIONS TO MATCH THAT DIFFERENCE BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL I NEED A PAY RAISE AND I'M GONNA VOTE AGAINST A PAY RAISE IF THAT COMES UP AS AN ACTUAL AGENDA ITEM.

I DON'T SEE MYSELF AS UNDERPAID.

I DON'T SEE COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISORS THAT'S UNDERPAID.

YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE HAD A PAY INCREASE, BUT AT THAT TIME WE HAD A COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND, YOU KNOW, BEING THROUGH THE WHOLE DECISION OF SHOULD WE HAVE A COUNTY EXECUTIVE OR NOT, I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR, FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

WE, THE COUNTY BOARD REALLY RUN THE WHOLE COUNTY, THE OPERATIONS, THE DAY TO DAY.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY HAS GONE DOWN A LOT SINCE THAT LAST PAY INCREASE.

SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

IT'S, I THINK, ALSO IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE BUDGET THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A HUGE SHORTFALL THAT WE HAVE, THE MEASURES WE'RE TAKING TO ADDRESS THAT CUTTING COURTHOUSE SECURITY THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE RIGHT TIME TO BE VOTING FOR PAY INCREASE FOR US.

UM, A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL HISTORY.

SO BACK IN 2017, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A PROPOSAL, THE OTHER WAY TO ELIMINATE MEETING PER DIEMS AND TO REDUCE THE SALARY BY $50 A MONTH, WHICH WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF $600 A YEAR.

AND THE VOTE ON THAT, IT REQUIRED TWO THIRDS OF ALL SUPERVISORS.

AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE 26 SUPERVISORS, SO IT WOULD NEED 18 YES VOTES.

IT HAD 16 YES VOTES, EIGHT NO VOTES, AND TWO ABSENT.

SO ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THE VOTE BOARD AT THAT TIME VOTED TO REDUCE OUR SALARY.

NOW SINCE THEN, WE'VE SWITCHED TO A COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

WE'VE BALANCED OUT THE POWERS, BUT PART OF THAT MEANS THAT THE COUNTY BOARD DOES EVEN LESS THAN WE DID AT THE TIME WE TOOK THAT VOTE.

SO, IN MY MIND, I'M GONNA BE A NO VOTE.

I'M NOT GONNA BEGRUDGE ANYBODY FOR VOTING FOR A PAY INCREASE, BUT I'M GONNA BE A NO VOTE.

AND THOSE ARE SOME THOUGHTS THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO THINK ABOUT.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR CONRAD.

THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.

UM, ACTUALLY I WAS GONNA REITERATE, UM, SUPERVISOR BUZZARD'S ETHICS AND VALUES TOO.

I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR MY OWN PAY RAISE.

I, I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT.

AND OTHER FORMS OF GOVERNMENT EITHER.

I BELIEVE THE PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE ON THAT.

AND TOO, UM, REGARDING THE BUDGET WE JUST SPOKE OF AND, UM, AND OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, THE

[01:45:01]

INCREASE IN TAXES IN SEVERAL OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES, UM, THAT'S CONCERNING.

AND, YOU KNOW, TO CUT SECURITY, BUT THEN GIVE MYSELF A, A RAISE, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH HOW, HOW MINIMAL, I JUST, UM, CAN'T SUPPORT THAT ETHICALLY.

SO THANK YOU.

IT'S, THAT'S ADMIRE ADMIRABLE.

I'M GONNA BE FAIR HERE AND SAY SOMETHING.

UM, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAID HE WAS PUTTING THIS IN THE BUDGET AND NOBODY HAD TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IF IT HAD GOTTEN THE BUDGET, WHEN WE VOTE FOR THE BUDGET IN A FEW MONTHS, IT WOULD TAKE A TWO THIRDS MAJORITY, TWO OVERRIDE HIS BUDGET.

SO, UM, WE COULD BE END UP IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE VOTING TO NOT GIVE OURSELVES A RAISE.

UM, BUT I, I BROUGHT IT FORWARD 'CAUSE I WANTED THIS ALL TO BE TRANSPARENT.

UM, AND I THINK GOING 26 YEARS WITHOUT A RAISE IS A LONG TIME AND COSTS HAVE GONE UP AND YOU'RE ALL ENTITLED TO GIVE BACK AS MR. BOSER DOES.

SO, UM, I'M SORRY, CHAIR.

ONE MORE TIME.

UM, WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS DONE, SUPERVISOR NEWMAN, THANK YOU.

UH, I, I, I'VE GOT CONCERNS ON THIS MYSELF.

A FEW YEARS AGO THIS TOPIC CAME UP AND THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE THAT WE CAN'T GIVE OURSELVES A RAISE BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA LOOK GOOD.

IT'S TIME BEFORE AN ELECTION.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHY SOME OF THOSE OPINIONS HAVE CHANGED NOW, BECAUSE I, I DID LISTEN TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING AND I HEARD THOSE COMMENTS, SO THAT, THAT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT.

ONE OF THE COMMENTS I MADE AT A COUPLE MEETINGS WAS, I DON'T WANNA SEE THE, THE BALANCE OR THE BUDGET BALANCE ON THE BACKS OF EMPLOYEES.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE BUDGETING, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, 3% INCREASE TO EMPLOYEES AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND GIVE OURSELVES A 5% INCREASE.

THAT BOTHERS, I SORRY, YOU HAD ONE IN 25 YEARS.

THAT BOTHERS ME AS WELL.

SO IF WE LOOK AROUND HERE, I'M GONNA ASK THE QUESTION, HOW MANY VACANCIES DO WE HAVE HERE? HOW MANY VACANCIES HAVE WE HAD A TROUBLE FILLING HERE? WHEN I WENT FIRST INTEREST IN THIS POSITION, SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO, THERE WAS NINE APPLICATIONS FOR MY DISTRICT.

WHEN IT CAME TO INTERVIEW TIME, THERE WAS, IT WAS DOWN TO THREE, BUT IT STILL HAD THREE PEOPLE.

WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM FILLING THESE SEATS.

PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS ARE NOT HERE FOR THIS MONEY.

THE MONEY IS NOT A JOB.

IT'S A BENEFIT, BUT IT'S NOT A JOB.

SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS.

I CAN'T VOTE OURSELVES, UH, RAISED REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG IT'S BEEN.

SO JUST WANT TO GET THOSE COMMENTS.

SO THANK YOU SUPERVISOR CHADRON.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, I WAS GONNA SECOND BOSSERT SUPERVISOR BOSSERT, BUT NOW I'M GONNA SAY KUDOS TO, UH, UH, SUPERVISOR NEWMAN AS WELL.

I DIDN'T TAKE THIS JOB FOR THE PAYCHECK.

I, I KNEW IT WAS SMALL ANYWAY, BUT, UH, I TOOK THIS JOB FOR OTHER REASONS.

SO I'M IN THE SAME BOAT.

I UNDERSTAND WE HAVEN'T HAD A RAISE IN A LONG TIME, BUT I'M NOT PERSONALLY HERE FOR THAT.

SO THAT'S WHERE I STAND.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR KELLY.

BUT THIS IS NOT A POSITION FOR YOU.

UH, MR. CHAIRMAN.

UM, POLITICALLY SPEAKING, FIRST OF ALL, UM, CORRECT SOMETHING, NOBODY IN HERE IS VOTING THEMSELVES A RAISE.

OKAY? THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO YOUR SEAT ON THIS BOARD, OKAY? AND SO THEREFORE, IT'S NOT FOR YOU, IT IS FOR THE NEXT BOARD.

SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE VERY CLEAR.

ANYBODY WHO SAYS YOU'RE VOTING YOURSELF RAISED MEANS YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR SEAT.

YOU ARE NOT, AND SOMEBODY IS PERFECTLY FINE AND WELL TO RUN AGAINST YOU.

UH, FOR ME, I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT.

PEOPLE SAY POLITICALLY WELL, IT'S AN HONOR TO WORK FOR THE COUNTY.

WELL THEN, OKAY, GO WORK FOR THE COUNTY.

I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE OPPOSITION EVER, AND I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO GOES OUT AND TRIES TO FIND PEOPLE.

IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE.

IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK.

IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO USE VACATION DAYS.

IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO DO, DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO BE ON THIS BOARD.

AND FOR SOME OF YOU, THAT'S A VERY EASY THING TO DO.

MAYBE YOU'RE RETIRED, MAYBE YOU'RE A BUSINESS OWNER AND YOU'RE DOING WELL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT, AND THAT'S GOOD FOR YOU.

[01:50:01]

THIS IS A POSITION THAT SERVES ALL OF THE PUBLIC.

THEY SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN THESE SEATS.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY TO JUST LEAVE WORK TO GET HERE BY FOUR O'CLOCK FOR A MEETING.

SO A PAY INCREASE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS QUITE MINOR.

IN FACT, AS I TALKED TO AARON, ROUNDING ERROR WOULD BE A GROSS EXAGGERATION OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

A GROSS EXAGGERATION.

YOU'RE TALKING A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS ON $139 MILLION BUDGET.

SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS POLITICAL.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE GRANDSTANDING POLITICIANS.

WELL, I DONATE MY MONEY TO CHARITY.

I DO TOO.

OKAY? I, I, YEAH, I GIVE IT TO THE CHURCH, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I DON'T VALUE WHAT I GET FROM HERE.

WHAT COMES TO ME FROM THE COUNTY FOR THE HARD WORK THAT I DO.

I THINK THERE IS A CERTAIN VALUE TO THAT.

AND WHEN I'M SELLING THIS, THESE SEATS TO OTHER PEOPLE TO RUN FOR OFFICE, IT WOULD BE NICE TO, TO AT LEAST HAVE SOMETHING TO STAND ON TOO.

THE FACT THAT YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED A, A RAISE IN 26 YEARS.

IF WE JUST TOOK THE COST OF LIVING, IF WE JUST DID THAT, WE'D BE MAKING TWICE WHAT WE DO.

NOW, THAT MEANS IN 2004 WHEN WE LAST, WHAT WAS IT, 2000? I THINK IT WAS 2001 WHEN WE LAST GOT A RACE, WE'D BE MAKING ALMOST DOUBLE 1999.

99.

WE'VE BEEN MAKING ALMOST DOUBLE.

AND NOBODY'S ASKING FOR ANYWHERE NEAR THAT AMOUNT, TALKING 5%.

AND THAT'S JUST TO EARN 2 19 90 $9 TODAY.

SO IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND AGAIN, TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THAT, WE GAVE RAISES TO EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL.

THE EXECUTIVE, THE TREASURER, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, THE SHERIFF, ALL OF THEM GOT RAISES AND ALL OF THEM HAVE COST OF LIVING INCREASES AS WELL.

AND BELIEVE YOU ME, THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE THAN A ROUNDING ERROR.

OKAY? ONE, PROBABLY ONE OR TWO OF THOSE RAISES.

WE COVER THIS ENTIRE BOARD FOR WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

DON'T DEVALUE YOURSELF, DON'T BE POLITICAL ABOUT IT.

BE FAIR TO THE NEXT BOARD THAT'S COMING.

IT'S NOT YOUR SEAT, IT'S THE NEXT PERSON'S SEAT.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN.

UH, SUPERVISOR BOSER, DO YOU MIND IF I LET OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T TALKED YET GO FIRST? UM, YEAH, THAT'S FINE.

SO SUPERVISOR KREBS, I THINK YOU WERE NEXT.

NO, I BELIEVE IT WAS.

SUPERVISOR KRIEGER.

CONDRA.

UM, I'M, I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN WHAT WE GET PAID.

I THINK, UH, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE HISTORY.

I KNOW YOU'RE GOING BACK AND SAYING LIKE, IN SINCE 1999, WE HAVEN'T HAD A RAISE, BUT WE'VE CHANGED THE WHOLE WAY THAT, UH, THE BOARD IS STRUCTURED.

IT USED TO BE THAT EVERY SINGLE REPRESENTATIVE HAD TO ATTEND THREE OR FOUR MEETINGS A MONTH, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE BOARD.

AND IF YOU LOOK BACK, THOSE MEETINGS, THE BOARD MEETING MM-HMM .

FIVE, SIX HOURS MOST MONTHS.

DO? PLUS WE DO HAVE PER DIEMS. UM, YOU CAN, IF YOU DON'T WANNA TAKE THE PER DIEM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.

AND THAT'S TRUE TOO.

AND IN, UH, 1999, EVERYBODY MET DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.

SO EVERYBODY HAD TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK OR THEY COULDN'T RUN, UM, THE FOUR A 4:00 PM YOU KNOW, AS A COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE COULD MEET LATER SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A DIFFICULTY.

YOU CAN GET OFF, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING OFF WORK.

SO WE'VE MADE THINGS A LOT MORE EFFICIENT FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, AND THE NEW STRUCTURE IS, IS MUCH MORE CONDUCIVE TO MAKING DECISIONS RATHER THAN HAVING, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, NOT BELITTLING THAT AT ALL, BUT TO GO FROM THREE TO FOUR MEETINGS EVERY MONTH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.

UM, MEETINGS THAT LASTED FROM FOUR, YOU KNOW, FOUR, FOUR HOURS OR MAYBE LONGER.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT WAS A WHOLE MORNING FOR SURE THAT YOU TOOK OFF, UH, JUST FOR THE BOARD MEETING AND THEN YOU HAD ALL YOUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

SO TO, TO MAKE THAT COMPARISON, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT WERE, WHAT WERE WE DOING, WHAT WERE WE GETTING PAID TO

[01:55:01]

UH, BUT I KNOW THAT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING PROBABLY MEETS MORE OFTEN.

UM, I'M ASSUMING YOU, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PER DIEM FOR THAT.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL DO, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU OUGHT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED, NEED TO HAVE REMUNERATION FOR IT.

SO I WOULD, I WOULD BE A NO VOTE.

UH, IF IT CAME TO A VOTE, AN AGENDA ITEM, AND NOT SURE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT IT BEING IN THE BUDGET.

UM, BUT IF IT, IF IT SHOULD COME UP, IT SHOULD BE AN AGENDA ITEM AND THEN IT OUGHT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE BUDGET SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT COMPLICATION OF HAVING TO VOTE NO FOR THE BUDGET.

JUST 'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA GIVE YOURSELF RAISE OR A SUPERVISOR RAISE.

AND YOU'RE RIGHT, DENNIS, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT OUR SEAT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS A PERSONAL RAISE AT THAT TIME.

AND IT'S NOT A PERSONAL RAISE.

IT'S WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT DO YOU GET PAID? THANK YOU.

NOW, SUPERVISOR KREBS.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN.

UH, MY, I RANG IN JUST FOR THE CLARIFICATION OF JUST BECAUSE IT'S BUDGETED IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET, DOES APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET ACTUALLY GRANT THE RAISE OR WOULD THAT NEED TO BE A SEPARATE, SEPARATE, UH, ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION OF SOME SORT? NO, IF YOU APPROVE THE BUDGET WITH THE RAISE IN IT, THE RAISE WILL BE, UH, BECOME EFFECTIVE NEXT TERM AND THEN I WILL AMEND THE CODE TO REFLECT THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY.

'CAUSE THERE HAS TO BE AN ORDINANCE THAT INDICATES YOUR SALARY.

SO WE WOULD HAVE TO PASS AN ORDINANCE SEPARATE? NO, WE WOULD AMEND THE ORDINANCES BASED ON THE BUDGET.

SO I'M OF THE SAME OPINION SUPERVISOR KREBS IS THERE, THE PAY RATE IS ACTUALLY SET IN THE ORDINANCE.

SO WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE.

THE BUDGET PROVIDES THE FUNDING FOR A PAY INCREASE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE GET IT.

THAT JUST MEANS THE INCREASE IS FUNDED.

WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO PASS AN ORDINANCE.

THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.

UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL LET BRAD CHIME IN ON THAT AND THEN I GOT A COUPLE OTHER POINTS.

SURE.

TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THE BUDGET PASSES, IF THERE ARE, UH, CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE IN THE CODE TO REFLECT WHAT THE BOARD PASSED IN THE BUDGET, WE DO THOSE THINGS ADMINISTRATIVELY BECAUSE PASSAGE OF THE BUDGET ESSENTIALLY CHANGES THE CODE IN PLACES.

UH, THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE.

NOW, HOWEVER, UH, IF YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO GO THAT ROUTE, AMENDMENTS CAN BE MADE TO THE BUDGET SAYING YOU DO NOT AUTHORIZE A CHANGE IN THE ORDINANCE.

UH, THAT HAS TO COME UP SEPARATELY.

THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN TALK ABOUT TO DO, BUT I'M JUST GIVING YOU GENERALLY SPEAKING HOW IT WOULD HAPPEN.

BUT YEAH.

OH, OKAY.

YEAH, IT DOESN'T MATCH MY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IT WOULD HAPPEN, BUT I THINK WE CAN MAYBE TALK SEPARATELY ABOUT THAT LATER AND KIND OF WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE SCENARIOS.

UM, I DO WANNA THANK SUPERVISOR KEL FOR HIS COMMENTS.

HE'S RIGHT.

THESE AREN'T OUR SEATS.

WE'RE NOT ENTITLED TO THEM.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS A REALITY OF INCUMBENCY.

UM, EVERY TIME THAT SOMEBODY CHALLENGES AN INCUMBENT THAT I'VE SEEN IN RECENT MEMORY, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE ACTUAL ELECTION RESULTS.

I DON'T RECALL AN INCUMBENT LOSING A COUNTY BOARD ELECTION.

MAYBE IT'S HAPPENED AND I, AND I'M JUST NOT THINKING OF IT.