Baraboo Does the Math, Finds the Governor's 'Tools' Come Up Short

 Not if Scott Walker gets his way.

City braces for cuts.  (Baraboo News-Republic, 3/9/2011)

Excerpt: Baraboo runs a tight ship and will do better than many other communities in a period of state budget cutting, City Council members heard Tuesday night. However, proposals such as ending recycling and dividing the University of Wisconsin System could have big local impacts.

The council discussed how the city could respond to budget cuts put forward by Gov. Scott Walker. Cuts proposed in his budget repair bill and proposed 2011-2013 budget have not become law yet, as Walker and Democrats tussle in the Legislature.

City Administrator Ed Geick said Walker's proposals to compel public employees to pay more for health insurance and retirement could save the city about $355,500. However, that is balanced against cuts in shared revenue, transportation aids and a $256,000* annual grant to pay for rural residents who use the city library - in total about $553,300 of losses.  [Emphasis added.]





(*Based on the figure in the 2009 Wisconsin Public Library Service Data -- and if I'm reading it correctly -- this is the payment from Sauk County.  It represents 30% of the Baraboo Public Library's budget.  As proposed in Walker's 2011-13 biennial budget, counties are to receive a 24% cut in the amount of state shard aid they receive.)

The net projected cut works out to $178,000, he said.

Among Walker's cuts is ending a $52,000 recycling grant and the requirement cities separate materials that can be recycled, Mayor Pat Liston said.

Public Works Director Tom Pinion said the city currently saves money on recycling, because many recycled materials have value at market. The city gets rid of them at a cost of $18 per ton versus $65 a ton for garbage that is landfilled, he said.

Plus you can't put a dollar figure on staff morale.