By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Racine County Executive James Ladwig has proposed a 2014 budget that freezes the tax levy for the third consecutive year. But that doesn’t mean his budget is lacking initiatives.
In particular, Ladwig plans to beef up public safety by adding another drug enforcement agent and increasing securing screening at the county courthouse.
“Obviously we’ve seen a rise when it comes to heroin use – not just in the county, but all over,” Ladwig said in a phone conversation prior to delivering his budget address to the County Board Tuesday. “We want to tackle it head-on. We want to let people know we’re not going to tolerate drug dealers in Racine County.”
He said the extra position for the county’s Metro Drug Enforcement Unit will be largely paid for with savings elsewhere in the Sheriff’s Department budget. The biggest savings, he said, comes from a lower payroll due to recent retirements of longtime deputies who carry higher salaries and from deputies now paying a higher portion of their pension contributions.
Courthouse security
He also plans to add security-screening checkpoints at the courthouse where the family and civil courtrooms are located. The county currently provides security screening at the felony courts located in the adjacent Law Enforcement Center.
“While we have been fortunate to not experience any major incidents in our courthouse, I believe it is important to take this proactive step, so the public and our employees can be assured that we are doing all we can to provide a safe facility to conduct business,” Ladwig said in his prepared remarks that were distributed to media prior to Tuesday’s presentation.
Preserving services
During an interview, Ladwig said his budget holds the line on spending without reducing the services for county residents.
“We’re operating with the same dollars as we were in 2011 (his first year as county executive),” Ladwig said. “We’re not doing it with gimmicks. We have found efficiencies and collaborations. We’re not just saving money by cutting services.”
For example, he used the county’s collaboration with the City of Burlington, which now provides county clerk and treasurer services for west-end residents in exchange for the county provide human resource services for the city.
Ladwig also touted the county’s Lean Initiatives, which, he contends, have saved time and money during the past year – particularly in the area of purchasing, which is projected as a $50,000 savings for the coming year.
Among the other highlights mentioned in Ladwig’s presentation:
• Health insurance costs for county retirees are up 14.5 percent this year, which will translate to a $1.2 million budget increase for 2014.
• The budget includes several public works projects that impact western Racine County: replacement of a truck storage building in Rochester; replacement of the Fischer Park boat ramp and the addition of a floating dock at Browns Lake; and creation of a dog park in Union Grove. Ladwig said the boat ramp replacement will be funded by a grant and the dog park will be created in collaboration with the Village of Union Grove.
• The county will continue to invest in the Racine County Economic Development Corporation’s revolving loan fund to the tune of $1 million in 2014. Ladwig said the funds are crucial to retaining and attracting businesses and jobs. He said the loan was used in 2013 to help convince Echo Lake Foods to rebuild portions of its factory that were destroyed by fire in Burlington.
Moving forward
Ladwig said he didn’t anticipate any major opposition to his budget, noting his first budget passed unanimously and his second garnered just one opposing vote.
“I think it’s frugal but we were able to accomplish it with no reduction in services,” he said.
The County Board will host a series of meetings next week where each of the departmental budgets will be discussed at length. The schedule is – Oct. 15: courts and law enforcement. Oct. 16: planning, development and human resources. Oct. 17: county administration and human services. Those meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the Ives Grove facility.
The board will host a public hearing on the budget Oct. 24 and will consider approval of the budget Nov. 5.
The full text of Ladwig’s presentation can be found by clicking here.
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