August 2024
“It takes a community to spend responsibly.” That is my adaptation of a former Presidential candidate’s slogan talking about families. While the idea of a whole community raising a family’s child didn’t sit well with many, the idea that voters want the government to live under the same budget constraints as they do is much more universal.
For too long, the bloating of budgets at all levels with funding for “wants” and “pet projects” instead of “needs” have caused many to believe that fiscally irresponsible governance was just a way of life we must accept. Of course, that is not true. Right now, we may be at an inflection point for our local bodies of government to change direction. I will point to the evidence that is beginning to take root in what will be the 2025 Rock County Budget – which would have a positive impact on your family’s financial freedom!
Without going into all the financial details (for more details, click HERE), the County Administrator along with board committees seem to be aiming toward a budget that would decrease expenses between 4 and 6.5 million dollars. WHAT? You read that correctly. Since the borrowing and construction of the new jail complex, taxpayers in Rock County have made their voices heard! Some Supervisors lost their elections and were replaced with more fiscally responsible leaders. That, along with the continued dialog about the pressures that constantly increasing taxes are imposing on voters, may have finally registered.
So, are we there yet? No. The budget is still in process. There is still opportunity for the residents of Rock County to speak with a fiscally responsible voice.
I do not believe we are an unreasonable community, but I do believe that for a time the county board, in recent years, had begun to function in the interests of the supervisory members and not in the interest of their constituents. While these Supervisors each have a district within the county, decisions need to be based on what will benefit the entirety of the county and not just their geographic carve-out. Perhaps this is a chance to re-engage the citizens and discover ways to shrink the spending without negatively impacting the most critical services to the most residents in the county.
Should this initial budget target remain and be passed, it would be the first budget cut in the last three budget cycles. That would be positive progress. An average of five million dollars in cuts would likely come from a variety of areas, but staff cuts would be a major part of those savings. A case in point is County Human Service is proposing eliminating 34 positions in 2025! 23 of these positions are vacant. Believe it or not, vacant positions increase the county’s annual budget and hence the tax levy, and receive cost-of-living increases too! It is good to see this budget maneuver is being reigned in.
This is the perfect time for us to continue the dialog with County Board Supervisors. Ask questions about where the cuts could come from and if they would negatively impact a great majority or just a few. Encourage the tough decisions. Let the board know what is important to you and keep track of how those members vote.
If most taxpayers in the county continue to be engaged, the community at large – through their representatives – can have the final say on matters that affect their taxes. Imagine that.
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