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In some ways, the saga of the town of Onalaska’s 2010 operating budget is a harrowing story that comes full circle with a moderately happy ending.
The happy ending is that a pared-down budget, after much agonizing, was adopted and some of the toughest critics — after weeks of lobbing what some would call abuse — thanked the Onalaska Town Board members for their hard work in completing it.
The harrowing part is that its creation caused fights between board members in open session, one board member and the town’s former administrator conducted their own confusing “citizens’ meeting” causing a ripple effect at subsequent meetings where angry town residents shouted and demanded answers, the state slashed its contribution, salaries were cut, vacant positions will go unfilled, fat was trimmed and board members decreased their per diem compensation to zero.
Supervisors finished months of hard work at a special meeting last week when the budget was finalized and approved by both the electorate and then the board itself.
At the budget hearing portion, Plan Commission member Doug Shefelbine made a motion to approve the budget, but without increasing the tax levy by 3 percent as it was prepared to reflect.
“We whittled our budget down $84,000 plus two people,” Town Chairman Dave Paudler said. “I honestly don’t know where we can cut.”
The motion failed 6 votes to 10 on an anonymous paper ballot vote.
A second motion to approve a budget of $692,698 with a tax rate of $1.56 per $1,000 property value was made by Supervisor Marc Schultz and seconded by Supervisor Howard Kelly. It passed by a margin of 10 votes to 6.
During the subsequent special town board meeting, Schultz made a motion to approve the 2009 tax levy to be paid in 2010, and the motion was seconded by Kelly.
That motion passed 4-1, with Supervisor Shane Davis dissenting.
Kelly made a motion to approve the total 2009 highway expenditures of $140,000. Supervisor Steve Michaels seconded the motion.
Shefelbine was joined by town residents Sandy Thompson and Hubert Hoffman in asking questions of the board regarding its budget.
“Why are we spending so much more every year?” asked Thompson, who was a fixture at budget prep meetings, regarding the ever increasing legal costs.
Thompson inquired several times about the increase in the town’s budget for legal fees, asking whether there was enough in the budget should the pending litigation between the town and former administrator Paul Kitzmann conclude in Kitzmann’s favor.
Paudler told her that the town’s insurer had recently disclosed that it and not the town would pay costs if Kitzmann won the lawsuit.
Kelly explained the increase in legal fees, saying that supervisors talk to legal counsel before making many of their decisions. Kelly also said 2009’s projected totals are high because Kitzmann “wasted” a week of legal fees ineptly attempting to update town ordinances.
Kelly noted that most of those serving on the board did not approve the 2009 budget, from which much of the town of Onalaska’s budgetary distress stems.
Thompson also asked for clarification on services provided by Paudler’s company, GCS Software.
Paudler explained that those in charge of the town’s books prefer his tax software to the programs provided free of charge from the county. Paudler said there is no conflict of interest in that relationship and that the amount the town pays to use the software is far below state allowed totals and that the town uses the software at a deep discount.
Paudler said he is not involved in decision-making when the town discusses the software.
“I think it’s a very generous thing that you’re doing for the town,” said Thompson, who added that perhaps the town should not use the software for the mere appearance of impropriety.
After much aggressive questioning and sometime brutal antagonism over the past few months during budget meetings, Thompson offered a final thanks to board members for their hard work in drafting the budget.
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ht bast wrote on Dec 8, 2009 7:51 AM: