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• St. Croix: Prepare to tighten up

By: Judy Wiff

HUDSON -- Mindful of falling revenue, St. Croix County's Finance Committee has instructed departments to submit three 2010 budget proposals: One with no increase, one with a 5 percent reduction and one with a 10 percent cut.

State funding is being reduced, investment earnings are down and revenues from the county sales tax and other fees are down this year, noted Finance Committee Chairman Daryl Standafer.

He said that while revenue is declining, the pressure for county services is increasing.

"We're going to have some hard trade-offs to consider this fall," warned Standafer.

Although the March sales tax income (received in May) was within $1,300 of the amount needed, the county is still behind budget projections and the amount received by this time last year, according to a report provided by Finance Director Michelle Pietrick.

She said at this point investment income is about $100,000 less than anticipated.

Supervisor Esther Wentz, who serves on the Health and Human Services Board, said that department is anticipating a $600,000 drop in state revenue next year.

So far it looks as though Wisconsin will allow counties to increase their property tax levies by 3 percent for 2010, said Standafer.

"We're sort of falling into this mode. We're using as much as we can," said Supervisor Buck Malick, apparently referring to the fact that the county hadn't taxed to the limit in years past.

"We will have authority to add 3%, but gosh I wish we didn't have to," said Malick.

In good economic times, the county responded to the public's expectations and provided considerably more serves that it's required to offer, said Standafer. He said people have come to expect a higher level of service.

Even a 3 percent increase won't cover salary and fringe benefit increases that have already been negotiated, warned Supervisor Sharon Norton-Bauman.

Although he said he's not aware of any big-ticket capital projects that "are suddenly going to show up," Whiting reminded committee members that nursing home building repairs and renovations have been put off to the point where they need to be done and projects requested for parks have been delayed for a couple of years.