No county gov’t shutdown but how about a slow down?
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard is imposing a hiring freeze and pay cuts across the board (albeit 1 percent) in her very first budget. Who did we elect last November? Scott Walker? Has the dear lady borrowed Elon Musk’s chain saw?
For even the most Woke of progressives — which Ms. Agard most certainly is — a $31 million structural deficit (4 percent of the total operating budget) is a wake-up call.
Is it really conceivable that the shortfall could be “kind of dropped in my lap after I had spent an awful lot of time” listening to progressive wish lists during her election campaign, as the dear lady complains? In which case, she listened to the wrong people.
Maybe too ‘bold and inclusive’?
Ms. Agard ran on a “bold, inclusive vision — expanding human services, protecting natural resources, investing in sustainable growth, and confronting racial inequities.” Remember when Dane County had taxpayer advocates? You’re that old?
The word “equity” appears 86 times in the current Dane County budget. The Office of Equity & Inclusion spends $1.68 million. Another $1.17 million goes to criminal justice “reform.” The jail continues to hold illegal aliens at county taxpayer expense. Waste and fraud in human services? The county doesn’t want to know. Supervisors refused by a 28-5 vote to audit Brandi Grayson and her $292,235 salary at her county-contracted agency, Urban Triage.
Spending exceeds population growth
Between 2019 and 2025, county spending (operating and capital) has gone from $630 million in 2019 to $926 million in 2025 — a 47% increase in spending while population grew only 7.8%. In the last eight years, county government added 500 employees — a 21% increase. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the cost of health insurance for 2,885 employees has “more than doubled.” Despite Obamacare?
Supv. Jeff Weigand says Dane County employees pay nothing for their healthcare with only $100/200 deductibles. Modest charges could save taxpayers $5.6 million/year.
Of the state’s 20 most-populous counties, Dane County government spends more per person ($1,443) than any county save Jefferson (no economy of scale; it’s the least populous of the 20.) How does Waukesha County, the third-most populous, get by spending $687 per capita? Fewer in need? Then explain Milwaukee County’s $1,252 per capita (seventh on the list).
Dane County government is a farm team for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the party of government. So is Madison city government and its school board — both of which resorted to referenda for taxpayer bailouts. Executive Agard, having served as a Democrat in the WI Assembly, knows the Republican-majority legislature will NOT bail out Dane County. She has what the City of Madison can only wish: a sales tax on top of a wheel tax and the property tax.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Revenue is not the problem, spending is. Test of a good administrator: the ability to just say NO! The candidate filing deadline for county board is just three months away. The one and only conservative supervisor, Jeff Weigand, needs help.
10 responses to “Big Gummint meets its day of reckoning”
How do we help Jeff Wiegand? Does he have a fund raising campaign?
donorbox.org/jeff-weigand-for-county-board2
did jeffie thank you for the free campaign ad? maybe a job in your future?
Who says a woman or gay has to run our governments. We need people who can think and do math.
ObamaCare? You mean the Affordable Care Act?
I’d go the other way. Rather than getting behind conservatives that won’t make any difference whatsoever I’d get behind the bat shittest crazy left wingers for all local elections. If we can’t win at least we make the Mayor and County Exec miserable. And we might just have the numbers to make a difference.
Possible candidates:
Tony Robinson’s grandmother
Shady
Anyone from Madison365
Mr. Weigand may need help, but he’s not going to get it in Dane County. Progressives are never happy unless they’ve silenced every squeak of opposition to their lunatic tax and spend addiction. You can be sure they’ll try everything in their well-worn play book of dirty tricks to get Jeff ousted. The only way he stands a chance if he suddenly identifies as trans. Oh, and look for your taxes to go up–again–to pay for their profligacy. Pretty soon the cost of a wheel tax in Dane County will surpass the average price of a car.
Because you live in an autocracy.
Ha! Good one.
I couldn’t believe it until seeing Daves Post that Dane County employee pay nothing for health care. As a retired Federal VA employee and a Vietnam Combat veteran taxpayer I just looked at the Blue Cross rates for Federal Employees for the next year they range from around $700-1,200/month. If the county would just charge $500/month Im sure it would go a long way towards reducing the County Budget. Of course this will never happen with votes by any County Supervisors. This and crazy spending pointed out by Dave Blaska will only cause a cry to raise taxes on those that pay enough already for streets in need of repair, safety from reckless drivers and of course crime.