I’m really confused by this memo. Why can’t we have a community discussion about priorities? Isn’t that exactly what we should be doing? How is that precluded? Also, the across the board cuts don’t work, its much more complicated than that, why have departments that have huge income from state and federal sources have the same cuts of 5% and 10% as those that are dependent on local taxes. There’s no creativity in these instructions. Why not have people cut 5% and 10% of their GPR instead?
DATE: May 25, 2011
TO: Dane County Department Heads and Elected Officials
FROM: Joe Parisi, Dane County Executive
RE: 2012 Budget PreparationsWith a little over a month on the job, I wanted to first take the opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation to all of you for your well wishes and willingness to work together on the challenges we face.
It’s truly been a pleasure getting to know you and your staff and how you carry out the important work of serving our County’s nearly half-million citizens. I’ve been most impressed by the professionalism, pursuit of excellence, and ingenuity I’ve witnessed throughout county government. Whether it’s plowing roads in the midst of severe blizzards, getting kids out of dangerous living situations, 911 dispatchers and sheriff’s deputies saving lives, or protecting our most vulnerable, our citizens are well served.
I’ve referred to the manner in which our community pulls together as the “Dane County Way” and each and every one of you have played a vital part in the reputation our County has earned for excellence.
Now together, we must begin the difficult task of trying to minimize the impacts on our core public safety and human services that will no doubt result from the actions underway by the Governor and state legislature.
Perhaps this is most evident by the reality that without adding any new positions or services to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office in 2012, the department will likely cost about $1.9 million more to operate next year. That so called “cost to continue” is almost twice the amount the County could collect under the revenue restrictions included in the Governor’s budget and adopted by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee. As we know, the Sheriff’s Office is just one of 30 County departments.
The disparity I mention here exists despite the bold cost-savings initiative announced by the Sheriff and I just yesterday. Shortly after taking office, I sat down and talked with the Sheriff about options for our Huber Center and I commend Sheriff Mahoney and his staff for working with me over the past few weeks to enact these new efficiencies. Closing down a floor of the Huber Center will result in more than $1-million in savings to County taxpayers between now and the end of 2012. More importantly, the Sheriff and I worked together to ensure these savings could be accomplished without the need for layoffs in the department.
In the past, citizens, the County Board, and the County Executive could have a community conversation about the value of services and to what extent our residents were willing to pay for them. Unfortunately, the Governor and Legislature will not allow communities to have that discussion as we set budget priorities for 2012.
While I’m strongly opposed to state government dictating to our communities and citizens what we can and cannot do, we must prepare for this reality as we sit down to work on our County’s 2012 budget.
As it stands today, due to direct revenue reductions and the proposed levy limit in Governor Walker’s proposed budget, Dane County would need to cut at least $8-million in services for 2012. Given that three quarters of our County’s annual budget is dedicated to public safety and human services, there will no doubt be painful reductions in services that citizens have come to expect.
The state’s severe cuts will almost immediately affect both the Department of Human Services and Dane County’s child support enforcement efforts in 2012. Proposed state cuts in shared revenues, youth aids, transportation aids, and funding for child support enforcement total more than $2.9 million next year. In addition, it remains to be seen how the vitally important income maintenance work currently performed at the Dane County Job Center will be affected by the state budget. The Governor’s original budget proposal would have resulted in the layoff of more than 70 County employees and I’ve been working closely with Human Services Director Lynn Green on alternatives that would allow these services to continue to be done at our Job Center.
Based on the year to date performance of sales tax (collections are down around 3% year to date) and lackluster activity reported by our Register of Deeds, Treasurer, and Planning & Development Departments, there’s already some evidence to suggest the Governor and Legislature’s zeal to eliminate collective bargaining is disproportionately affecting Dane County’s economy.
It’s for these reasons I’ve continued a freeze on hiring implemented by my predecessor and today I’m directing department heads to review all options available to them to reduce spending for the remainder of 2011. This includes closer scrutiny of conference and training requests and strategies to reduce overtime in departments that experience overtime expenses. I am certainly aware that these decisions are difficult and there’s good justification to fill nearly every one of the vacancies that exists in County government today. However, it wouldn’t be prudent to begin filling positions that may very well need to be defunded or eliminated as we prepare the 2012 budget.
Attached to this memo you will find the process I am asking department heads to follow as I work toward developing my 2012 budget that will be introduced to the County Board on October 1st.
This process is designed to maximize your involvement, innovation, and ingenuity. Everyone will need to be part of the solution; as department heads I trust your experiences and knowledge of your issues to work with my staff and the Department of Administration in developing cost reduction strategies and wherever possible, new, sustainable, and equitable revenue streams.
As part of this 2012 budget development process, I’m asking department heads to work with the Department of Administration and my staff to develop scenarios to reduce expenses or raise revenues equivalent to both 5% and 10%. For departments with operating budgets of under $2-million in general purpose revenue (GPR) annually, I request you begin to prepare scenarios to cut spending or raise revenues 2.5% and 5%. I will review the alternatives resulting from this process and use this input in developing my budget later this year.
I encourage every department to pursue new partnerships, both within and outside of county government. Partnerships that reduce the county’s operating expenses, create new revenue opportunities, and preserve core services for citizens should take priority.
Careful consideration should be given to any capital budget requests. Capital requests to sustain vital infrastructure, protect public safety, or create new revenue opportunities for the County will be given priority in my first budget.
With assistance from the Department of Administration, I’m exploring every option available to minimize the reductions in service our Governor and Legislature are on the verge of imposing on our County.
I don’t believe one of those options should be a referendum this year for higher property taxes. Given continued adverse economic conditions and uncertainty about the impact of the Governor and Legislature’s elimination of workers rights, I cannot and will not advocate for going to the voters via a referendum this fall to raise property taxes.
Our workers have a long history of working collaboratively with the County to resolve past budget challenges. I’m confident despite the way they and other dedicated public employees have been unnecessarily and unfairly portrayed by state officials that they too will again step forward and ask what they can do to help.
Because of the actions and misplaced priorities of others, we have a difficult road ahead. Working together, the way we always have in Dane County, we’ll overcome the obstacles placed before us.
The process is in this memo, but the gist of it is here. Note, same useless public involvement in his process unlike the Mayor. So, come October 1, we can see what has been decided behind the scenes, behind closed doors for us with a mockery of public hearings probably the day after Labor Day when people aren’t paying attention and they let agencies sign up for their 5 minute time slot. Disappointing, I was hoping that the county budget process would become more open and accessible to the public like the city’s promises to be. Instead, seems like the same old, same old. Nothing new, nothing creative, same strategies and same results. Odd the document is called a “redesign”?
Week of May 23 – Release budget instructions with specific directions and a description of process.
Specific directions:
• no new GPR funded positions,
• no new operating or contractual expenses increases without funding recommendations,
• prioritized list of capital projectsProcess description:
• DOA will work with departments to develop GPR reduction scenarios
• DOA will schedule meetings with departments to review reduction strategies
• All department budgets will be finalized by August 26 although the technical review will be completed in advance of this deadline.Week of May 30 – August 26 DOA meets with departments to develop and review departmental reduction strategies
• Design strategies to achieve reductions of 5% and 10% for large departments and 2.5% and 5% for small departments based on a $2 million GPR threshold
• Meet weekly with County Executive for briefings, policy directives, and tentative decisionsWeek of August 26 – Week of Budget requests are finalized
• All department requests will be finalized, including the technical review, by August 26. Completion time frames may vary depending on the complexity of the department’s budget.
• Final submissions may include some or all of the elements described in the budget reduction strategies developed in consultation with DOA and the County Executive’s OfficeSeptember 7 – Compilation Report Published
• Consistent with the County’s budget ordinance, a compilation of the department requests will be released on September 7.
August 26 – September 26 – County Executive Budget Decisions
• DOA reviews departmental budget requests with County Executive to formally approve, deny, add or modify department recommendations
• DOA works with departments on modifications requested by the County Executive
• County Board and Executive hold appropriate public hearings seeking citizen input on budget developmentOctober 1 – Executive Budget Released
• County Executive releases Executive Recommended Budget on October 1
Me no likey.
