YOUR COUNTY: More public involvement needed in creating county budget

It’s budget time for Sheboygan County.

The process begins early with department goals set that need to be met. This is followed by a review of the departments’ budgets by each of the standing committees before it goes to the executive committee that often includes a dialog about the positives and negatives of meeting the goals set.

It is not a quick process and lots of discussion takes place throughout. Eventually there is a public hearing, debate and changes can be made by the full County Board, followed by passage of the 2011 budget.

With a major recession forced upon us all, and one could discuss endlessly its many reasons, the fact is that it has affected most of the world economies from the financial banking industry, real estate, related losses of employment and production/business declines – all of which has turned out to be both a social and financial tragedy. It has also caused a major loss in tax revenue on both the state and national levels. It has affected negatively local school aids, state shared revenue, federal grants and more. While the recession has hurt many people, it has also provided an opportunity to look even closer on how to keep or even improve and consolidate services while trying to hold the line on taxes at the county level.

The public in general often tends not to be involved in the process following the nuts and bolts of running county (as well as city and town) government. When they do get involved, it’s often something over a small but exciting local scandal, an error made by a public employee or sometimes an unwise comment of some local elected official. Few watch the real committee work being done by members of the County Board on a regular basis.

Being we are in tough economic times and with the possibility of cutting law enforcement services and staff, limiting the funding for hazardous waste program and/or prescription drug collections, combining the Land and Conservation Department with the Planning Department, and other changes, this may be a good time for more citizens to become more involved.

How can someone learn what is happening?

Almost everything the Sheboygan County Board does is open for the public to review. Just go to the county website at www.co.sheboygan.wi.us. Where it says “Meetings,” you will find a listing of months. Hit “August” and you will find the announcement of every committee and County Board meeting, their agenda, and the minutes of that meeting if it has taken place. You can go to the list of “County Board” members and you will find all 34, their County Board District boundary, committee assignments, telephone number, address and e-mail. You will also find the “County Administrator” site, which will provide you with Adam Payne’s office, telephone number, e-mail, list of his responsibilities and more.

There is a host of other information available. You can watch past Sheboygan County Board meetings if you wish or review the employee quarterly newsletter, check on the status of the Sheboygan Marsh Observation Tower, information on road conditions and construction, the district attorney’s clarification of “open carry” firearms restrictions, status of the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program Project, Sheboygan River Dredging Project, update on what’s happening at the Sheboygan County Museum, or information on the new Recreation Trail Passes requirements. And, there is much more available to anyone wishing to look.

All Sheboygan County Board and committee meetings are open to the public – everyone is encouraged to attend. Many of the meetings, as you would expect, conduct the business at hand and are not all that exciting. But it is important because it is your tax dollars at work. The annual budget can have a major effect on the services, and it is the most interesting and intense from about early July through the middle of November. You may wish to follow the budget process.

If you have a question about the column or there is an area of interest you would like to follow but cannot find it on the county website, please e-mail me at jimcob@bytehead.com.