Public Comments Welcome on 2018 Dane County Departments Budget Requests

September 08, 2017
Karin Peterson Thurlow: 608.266.4533
County Board

Hearings set for Tuesday, Wednesday Sept. 12-13 at 6 p.m.

Residents can offer input on the upcoming 2018 Dane County budget during a pair of public hearings next week.

The first on Tuesday Sept. 12 will address all county departments other than Department of Human Services. That hearing begins at 6 p.m. in Room 201 of the City County Building at 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, in downtown Madison.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 is the hearing on the Department of Human Services budget. That traditionally well-attended hearing is at 6 p.m. at the Alliant Energy Center off John Nolen Drive. Free parking is available onsite.

“As elected officials, we invite and welcome feedback from those we serve,” said County Board Chair Sharon Corrigan. “These budget hearings are an opportune time to weigh in on spending issues before the County Executive releases his spending requests.”

The Tuesday hearing is before the Dane County Board of Supervisors. Each department will provide the County Board with a summary of their requested budget for the coming year. Also, department officials will address questions regarding progress in the areas of equity and inclusion – key priorities of the County Board. The questions the department heads were asked to address include:

What has been your greatest success and your greatest challenge in 2017 in achieving/advancing the goals, objectives, and strategies of your department’s equity plan?
If you have not yet completed your plan, what support do you require to complete the plan by the end of 2018?
Indicate any specific approaches or initiatives in your 2018 budget request to promote an equitable and just county.

Additionally, departments were asked to discuss with their standing committee efforts to implement their department’s sustainable action plan when they present their budgets at committee meetings in early October.

“These hearings aren’t just about the upcoming budget, they’re a chance to review how we did on our 2017 goals,” said Corrigan.

The Wednesday hearing on the Department of Human Services budget request is held jointly by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and the County Board.

Both hearings will begin promptly at 6 p.m., with an overview of departmental budget requests presented by department staff. Public testimony will be taken following those presentations.

Those with disability issues or child care responsibilities may present their comments immediately following the department overview. Each person testifying at the hearing will be limited to three minutes of remarks.

Individuals who have questions regarding the hearings can contact the County Board Office at 608-266-5758 or the Human Services Department at 608-242-6469.

Also, individuals can offer feedback on the budget via POLCO, a free online service that collects data on a variety of government issues. The Dane County Board has been partnering with POLCO since 2016. The Polco questions include:

Dane County has many opportunities and also faces many challenges that must be addressed. When thinking about what areas the County should focus on for the next year, what do you think should be the top priority?
Given the wide range of services and initiatives that Dane County works on every year, do you think that the County should continue to work on new initiatives or focus on strengthening our existing programs?

For more information or to sign-up for POLCO visit https://polco.us/groups/county/dane-county-wi