County supervisors approve funding resolutions for non-profits

Marathon County supervisors on Tuesday approved funding resolutions for six non-profit groups that perform contracted work for the county, while also giving the county administrator the ability to cut funding by up to 8 percent for each group.

Three different committees recommended continued funding for the non-profits in 2024, but one of them included a provision drafted by supervisor David Baker that will allow county administrator Lance Leonhard to reduce funding by as much as 8 percent for each group if needed to minimize tax cuts. Baker’s amendment was replicated for all the funding resolutions.

Leonhard has told supervisors that he appreciates having that flexibility when developing a proposed budget.

The resolutions call for providing the following maximum tax contributions: $40,000 for United Way 211, $33,757 for North Central Community Action Program, $54,376 for the Marathon County Historical Society, $40,000 for Marathon County Development Corporation, $55,000 for The Women’s Community and $15,000 for Judicare Mediation.

Each of these groups has a written agreement with the county to provide specific services in conjunction with various departments.

Supervisor Thomas Rosenberg made a motion to remove the provision allowing for the 8 percent cut, but it failed on a 7-25 vote. Rosenberg argued that the non-profits will already get “less” funding next year because there are no increases planned for inflation. He said any further funding cuts would amount to “pocket change” in the overall budget.

“It says to these non-profits that we don’t value them,” he said. “That’s the message that’s getting sent out.”

Supervisor Tony Sherfinski, however, said inflation is also causing “a very real drop in income” for the county’s constituents, and supervisors need to

MARATHON COUNTY be willing to cut spending.

“I think it makes perfect sense for us to be very careful with the taxpayers’ money, and I think that any organizations getting funded by the county should be thankful they’re not seeing an actual reduction, because at the end of the day, everybody who’s paying the tax bill actually sees a reduction in their standard of living for the year,” he said.

Supervisor Ann Lemmer said she asked finance director Kristi Palmer what the impact would be if, for example, the county eliminated the $54,376 it provides to the historical society every year.

“Based on her math, it will save the taxpayer 83 cents if you own a $200,000 home, so cutting even just a little bit is not going to make that big of an impact on the average taxpayer, but it makes a huge impact for the historical society,” she said.

Supervisor Tom Sondelski, who said he supports local non-profits with his own money but doesn’t want to force taxpayers to pay for groups they may not support, made a motion to cut the historical society’s funding by about 50 percent, down to $28,000, but it died due to lack of a second.

In other news, the county board signed off on a list of potential capital improvement projects for 2024, with the understanding that many of the projects will not be completed because of funding constraints. A total of $25 million worth of work, ranging from park improvements to highway repaving, has been proposed.

Supervisor Baker raised a number of questions about projects on the list and made a motion to refer it back to Human Resources, Finance and Personnel, but it failed on a vote of 12-21.

Supervisor John Robinson called the project list a “starting point” for budget discussions, and said that any project that makes it into the 2024 budget will need to be paid for with available dollars, not borrowing.

“The final list will be one without debt,” he said.

Other business

The board approved an ordinance amendment that will allow for an archery-only deer hunt at Big Eau Pleine Park, from Nov. 15 through the Sunday nearest Jan. 6.

The board approved the addition of eight new positions for the county’s Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTC) program, which is fully funded by state and federal dollars. The proposed positions include six social workers, one accounting specialist and a social worker supervisor, which will all be paid for without local property tax dollars. The added positions are needed due to a 141 percent increase in enrollment since 2019 and a waiting list of 63 high-needs children who need to be assessed before they can enroll.

The board approved unencumbering $10.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were originally allocated for various purposes but have not been spent. That money will now be available for other purposes.

The board approved changes to the county’s tax-delinquent property ordinance, as advised by corporation counsel Michael Puerner. One significant change was the removal of a provision that gave the former property owner first preference when bidding on seized property. Also, in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling, the county will have to give the former owner any sales proceeds after it deducts past-due taxes, penalties and incurred costs.

The board approved a land swap with private landowner Tim Micke, who has property next to the Dells of Eau Claire County Park. The swap will correct the boundary between the park and Micke’s land and allow the county to keep an outdoor bathroom that serves a nearby campground.