Dane County Freezes Spending on $25 Million in Capital Projects

May 29, 2009
Supervisor Scott McDonell (279-6984) Supervisor Brett Hulsey (334-4994

The Dane County Personnel and Finance Committee took action Tuesday evening, May 26, 2009, to curb $25 million in spending on capital projects, approximately half the total amount for capital projects included in the 2009 budget. “Dane County, like the rest of the country, has seen a sharp decline in revenues as a result of the recession,” said County Board Chair Scott McDonell. “Capital projects that we borrow for today increase the budget in following years. The Personnel and Finance Committee believed the only responsible course of action was to freeze spending for projects that are either not essential, or that can be delayed until next year,” he added. Dane County is anticipating its fiscal situation to worsen further as the state considers cuts to local governments in order to address its own budget shortfall. In light of this situation, the Personnel and Finance Committee unanimously approved a motion to freeze spending on specific projects and consider funding these projects on a case-by-case basis. “Freezing spending on these projects will save about $3 million in operating expenses next year,” said Supervisor Brett Hulsey, Chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee. “Right now we must be very judicious with every dollar we spend, and that means some good projects will be on hold,” he said. The Committee voted to honor commitments for three acquisitions of property currently being negotiated. A full list of the 2009 capital budget projects is attached. The Personnel and Finance Committee froze spending on the highlighted projects in the list. # # #