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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 1973 (43) RESOLUTION 43 WHEREAS, Wisconsin has, since its inception, operated under a form of - government which recognized the County as the local,government unit providing, a variety of services for a particular area; and WHEREAS, those persons elected by people in the County to represent thein have the statutory duty and authority to determine the course of that government, and the responsibility to levy the property taxes therefore; and WHEREAS, the legislature has over the years increasingly legislated in the area of County government to delegate to state agencies many of the determinations that formerly were made at the local level in requiring certain standards set forth by that state agency; and WHEREAS, at the expressed request of the governor the legislature currently has adopted the governor's budget reorganization bill, being Chapter 90 of the Laws of 1973, which takes the ultimate step of delegating to the State Department of revenue the power to determine the amount of levy increase allowable in each county, which determination is subject to a variety of formulas set forth in the Statute, but ultimately defined by the Department of Revenue; and WHEREAS seems.highly inappropriate for the State Governor and Legislature to substitute their judgment and'the;.judgmeini[ of bureaucratic age les for the judgment`of the elected representatives as to the.local tax levy, especi: 1y in the light.of the past performance of the State in to-Otna of levy,iie reesseis- it the past perfor' ante of this �+aupty Qand, for that matters the vast majority of;a 1, of ties iriihisli ate), grid �. tf °WHEREA this legislature expresses the pontikiUod present philo*,oP the 4, G state administration to.take.state control of all local a�Isioa making po*Or Ach is - ,contrary to national retaition that more power .4h be delegated into ikieeielties; pend "AY ,1 WHEREAS, it is common knowledge that the budget reorganization act which creates this limitation was only made politically and economically possible by the state surplus which was created by the vest sums returned to the state under revenue sharing from the national administration and the surplus created in the state by the exorbitant tax increase which was imposed upon all Wisconsin taxptyers in the 1971-1972 legislative period which the 1873 State Government refuses to rebate as exeess tax collected to those who paid it, and, instead, chose to use his plus leverage to effect the various reorganizations as have been included in the reorganiza- tion budget, and WHEREAS, this one particular change in Section 70.62(4) of the Wisconsin Statutes gravely affects the ability of county government to function. NOW, THEREFORE, BE iT RESOLVED, as follows; 1. That the Finance, Personnel and Budget Committee be directed to limit their negotiation with all union and non-union personnel to non-econ is matters until all departmental budgets have been presented to and reviewed by d�ald committee in older that the county may properly assign priorities for expenditures of total monies available. 2. That the Finamat, Personnel and Budget Committee be directed that they may hold budget hearings and make any and all recommendations regard to budgetary items but that no final commitments'can be made by the,; committee with regard to the 1974. budget until final figures are determined by ti e State and nsn-tax levy revenues are determined by the county. 3. That State Senator Knowles and Assemblyman Mohn be tendered al letter of invitation to attend the next County Board Session on October 23, 67 :, in order that a full and complete discussion be had on the adverse effects to County Government of this legislation, .2- 4. That this Board, ,in;the strongest possible language, urges the legislature, when they reconvene in October of this year, to pasts legislation striking Section 76.62(4) ,from the Statutes forthwith in sufficient time to purge its effect' - on county budget deliberations In November of 1973, for the 1974 budget. 5, That the County Board Chairman immediately contact all other C"u� Board Chairmen and the County Boards Association and urge the Comity Boards Association to cell a special sleeting in which all counties are represented to address themselves to the problem of most effectively obtaining the repeal of the above iegislation. 6. That copies of this Resolution be submitted by the County Clerk co the County Clerks of all other counties in Wisconsin with the expectation that other counties will adopt like resolutions. 7. That a copy of this resolution be mailed by the County Clerk to the-: Governor of the State of Wisconsin in order that he may be advised on the matter. 8. That the County Board Chairman and/or Clerk are hereby authorized to appeal the present Department of Revenue certification of St. Croix tAx levy increase,limit of$1018,914.80 in the event thorcognty's computation of -the statutory formula,differs from that of the State Department of Revenue. 9. That the District Attorney be hereby authorized and directed to take whatever legal steps are necessary to join with other counties or municipalities in a challenge of the constitutionality of this legislation; or to independently take such stteps for St, Croix County. Dated at Hudson, Wisconsin, this 11th day of September, 1973. FINANCE PERSONNEL & BUDGET COMMITTEE SEYM© R=DAHM, Chairman -3- II : LYLIV KELLAHER 96R)4I iq Z. ANDECRSpI� t, t' V RN R. NELSON -4