Published: Jan. 19, 2019
County supervisors meet with lawmakers in Madison
By Nicholas Dettmann
ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043
WEST BEND — Several Washington County board supervisors had
strong and engaging conversations earlier this week with state lawmakers in
raising concerns about the local issues.
Chairman Don Kriefall, as well as supervisors Peter Sorce,
Jeffrey Schleif, Robert Hartwig and Carroll Merry, met with several lawmakers
that represent all or parts of Washington County. Those lawmakers included
Janel Brandtjen, Tim Ramthun, Rick Gundrum, Robert Brooks and Mark Born. Rep.
Dan Knodl and Sen. Duey Stroebel weren’t able to attend.
Gundrum and Kriefall each agreed the discussions were
positive.
“It’s important to have these contacts with our
legislators,” Kriefall said.
Gundrum said, “It went well. Short and to the point. They
delivered the message. We’ll take it from there.”
The session was hosted by the Wisconsin Counties
Association, which got local government officials from throughout the state
together in Madison to meet with their local representatives and senators.
“It’s very important so that we can stay on top of the needs
and the issues whatever they may be at the county level,” Gundrum said about
the value of having face-to-face communication with government officials at the
township, city, village and/or county levels.
Washington County presented a 36-page report to its state
leaders, which outlined what local officials would like to see done and what
has already been done to show support.
Among the issues discussed were child welfare, child
protective services, public safety, court-appointed attorney fees, residential
care centers for children and youth, and the opioid crisis.
Kriefall and Gundrum also agreed meeting at this point,
early into a new administration with the election of Democrat Tony Evers as
governor, was important, to serve as a reminder of the issues still at-hand.
Washington County hopes its strong ties in Madison will be
beneficial.
Ethan Hollenberger, who also attended the event as a
representative from the county, formerly worked with Stroebel and Gundrum is a
former Washington County board supervisor.
And for Gundrum, he’s won two elections in the past year —
one for District 58’s special election and then the general election for the
same seat. Gundrum won the special election in January 2018 to serve as the
temporary replacement for the late Bob Gannon, who died suddenly while in
office in October 2017. Then, he won the general election in November.
With the elections over, he can focus his two-year term on
the issues he said he’d address if elected.
“I’m very excited,” Gundrum said. “I’m looking forward to
these next two years. There’s a lot of things we can accomplish. It’s going to
be good.”
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The issues discussed
Kriefall said the county is struggling with how to properly
help children who are in broken homes, especially related to drug and/or
alcohol abuse.
According to the packet, despite a $5 million increase in
funding in 2018, the child welfare system is “still in crisis.” The county
suggests a $30 million increase, citing an increase of 119 percent with
children being removed from caretakers because of drug abuse between 2011-2016.
“We have a lot of kids that have been placed outside the
home until the parents are sober again,” he said. “It’s putting strain on us.
We’re very limited as to what we can do with levy caps.”
Washington County, according to the packet, saw a 34-percent
increase in child protective services between 2012-2016.
According to Kriefall, 911 tax money collected from
consumers’ cellphone bills hasn’t been entirely used appropriately. This is
significant because that tax money, Kriefall said, is supposed to go toward the
911 system, such as technology upgrades.
Kriefall said only $6.7 million has been allocated toward a
911 fund, which was about 15 percent of what actually has been collected from
that tax. He wants to see the 911 tax money go toward 911 improvements
throughout the state, which was a point of emphasis in the presentation packet.
The packet says modernizing Wisconsin’s 911 system has been
a priority for local government for some time.
Court- and state-appointed attorney fees were also an
extensive discussion.
A $60-per-hour discrepancy between court- and state-appointed
attorneys has counties worried, including in Washington County.
“The court-appointed attorney is harder on the county
budget,” Kriefall said.
According to the presentation packet, in May, the state
Supreme Court raised the hourly rate for court-appointed attorneys to $100 from
$70, which is to go into effect in 2020. State-appointed attorneys are paid $40
per hour.
“It’s harder to find attorneys to work at that rate,”
Kriefall said, because the attorneys will hold out for the higher rate.
The request on this matter asks for $16.1 million annually
to raise the state public defender rate to be increased to $70 per hour,
effective July 1. Plus, support a request for $10 million over the biennium to
cover the increased cost to counties for court-appointed attorneys.
Kriefall is optimistic these requests will get in front of
lawmakers.
“All of our representatives are pretty exemplary,” he said.
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