County gives $1 million shove to City Hall project

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Editor

Since 2010, Burlington Mayor Bob Miller has been eyeing the possibility of sharing a government building with Racine County – and sharing the cost of construction of that new building.

“My goal, and I’ve made no bones about it, is to have a government center in Burlington,” Miller said Tuesday.

That goal got a firm push forward last week, as Racine County Executive James Ladwig earmarked $1.1 million in his proposed 2015 budget for a western Racine County service center to be built in conjunction with the city.

“The service center will be a shared location for residents to access county services as well as City of Burlington services,” Ladwig said in his budget presentation last week. “This is a cost-effective way for the county and the city to offer convenient service to Western Racine County residents.”

This is the first time that money has been specifically earmarked for a joint center in a proposed budget, though the two governments have worked together in providing services since 2012.

Miller said Tuesday that while city staff was aware that Ladwig had set aside money for the project, they had no idea it would be such a big part of his presentation.

“We knew it was going to be a line-item in his budget,” said Miller, who added that the city and county have been talking for at least a year.

“It’s been at least that long since we’ve been talking about what to do,” Miller explained. “The county needs to close its building and the city been looking at talking about a new City Hall – or remodeling the existing City Hall.”

Miller said that there are a few different locations being considered, including an option he first spoke about in 2012 – a three-story facility on the existing parcel between the city police station and the parking structure on Dodge Street.

“That’s still a viable site, let’s put it that way,” Miller said.

He declined to list any other specific areas, though, citing competitive bargaining concerns.

“We have no definite plans,” Miller said. In fact, Miller stressed that the project is still just in a conceptual phase as far as the city is concerned.

City officials just began their budget review process last week, but Miller said that there are currently no funds earmarked for the project, adding, “The whole thing is up in the air.”

“We’re still looking at square footage,” Miller said. “We have not committed any money to it.”

If the project comes to fruition it would not be the first time the county and city have worked together. In 2012, the city began offering several county services – including marriage licenses, birth, death and real estate certificates and property tax payments – that were formerly offered at the current Western Racine County Service Center at 209 N. Main Street.

In exchange, the city receives approximately eight hours of human resources services from county professionals each week. County Treasurer Jane Nikolai began offering services by appointment once a month later in 2012.

Editor In Chief Ed Nadolski contributed to this story.