TUESDAY, APRIL 1 - ELECTION DAY

Tuesday, April 1 is a critical day for Kewaunee County as it is the day you have a chance to elect a new county board that will represent you.  A county board that will rein in the spending and will hold our county management accountable.  

IT IS ELECTION TIME and you are now hearing some of the incumbent board members stories about how they have been prudent in their spending decisions and how hard they have worked for the taxpayer.  I would suggest all you have to do is look at what has occurred in the county here over the past 10 years or so while this board has been in control.  

There are two committees that wield a lot of power and have a great deal to do with the county spending, the personnel and finance committees.  Although I am not on these committees I made it a point to attend their meetings so I could try to understand their decision making process.

The personnel committee has the following incumbent members who are running again; Robert Weidner, James Barlow, Kay Schillin, Chuck Hutter, Bruce Heidmann, David Mayer, Charles Wagner and Linda Sinkula.  From my observations, Ms. Sinkula and Ms. Shillan have consistently supported a position arguing for fiscal constraint and more accountability.  

The finance committee is comprised of the following incumbent board members who are on the April 1 ballot; Charles Wagner, James Barlow, Chuck Hutter, James Abrahamson.  Notice several of the same names on both committees?  

NOW LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE OUR COUNTY HAS GONE 

UNDER THIS LEADERSHIP

• Kewaunee County has the 5^th highest tax rate of 72 counties in the state at $7.77
• We have $17.3 M debt, add the debt service and it amounts to $24M
• County employee health insurance cost represents 23% of our $11M tax levy
• County employees pay 10% of their insurance cost
• Cost to Kewaunee County per family plan member - $20,098 (total cost $22,233)
• In the year 2000, county taxes per resident were $285, today they have swelled to $536, a $250 per resident increase, more than 2.5 times the rate of inflation
• Personnel committee justifies Schedule II employee increases utilizing Carlson Dettman information that is based upon counties that are not remotely comparable to Kew. Co.
• Personnel committee awards sheriff department lieutenants raises for managing the Algoma police department contract, then passes on a second raise within weeks amounting to $10,500 of salary increases for 3 staff members

DO YOU WANT MORE OF THE SAME?  GET OUT AND VOTE!  GET YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS OUT TO VOTE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 1ST