Chippewa County budget set to increase 3.4% [The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.]

Oct. 6—CHIPPEWA FALLS — The Chippewa County budget will increase by 3.44%, according to a preliminary budget presented to the Executive Committee on Tuesday.

County Administrator Randy Scholz said the property tax levy — the portion of the budget that is funded by property taxes — would increase from $19.95 million to $20.63 million.

The overall budget, which includes federal and state money and grants, has climbed to $99 million.

In a letter to the board, Scholz explained the key goals of the budget were to retain employees while addressing the two largest issues facing the county: the ongoing pandemic and the meth crisis.

"The county has added several positions in the last few budgets to address the meth epidemic, to reduce out-of-home placements, and to reduce staff turnover," he wrote.

Eight new positions are created in the budget. Four of the new employees are social workers for the Department of Human Services. Another of the new employees is a criminal justice services case manager.

"These positions are needed per state requirements to address the current waiting list, which we cannot have," Scholz wrote. "The positions are funded by Medicaid."

The proposed budget also includes a 3 percent wage increase for county employees, which would take effect July 1, 2022.

"This is to try to stay competitive for recruiting and retaining great employees," he said.

The other new positions are two IT workers and a UW-Extension educator, with the county sharing that position (and salary) with two adjacent counties.

The proposed budget marks the highest one-year increase in the levy since the 2018 budget; each of the past three years has seen an increase between 2.09% and 2.18%.

The tax rate would decrease 5.1%, falling from $3.26 per thousand dollars of valuation to $3.10 per thousand dollars of valuation.

Along with the tax levy, Scholz outlined spending the $6.58 million the county collected in its half-percent sales tax. The bulk of the spending will go twoards a $1.57 million property tax credit, $1.85 million debt service fund, and $1.8 million for highways and bridges.

By county resolution, sales tax dollars must be spent on capital purchases, not salaries. Other items funded by the sales tax money this year include $150,000 on replacing jail windows, $75,000 on sheriff department body cameras, $80,000 on audio & visual upgrades in courtrooms, and $415,000 for replacing the courthouse's roof.

The county also is transitioning from a fully insured health insurance provider to a self-funded health insurance program.

The full county board will vote on the budget at its Nov. 4 meeting.

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