Oconto County Board Will Have To Have "Come To Jesus Moment"

From the Peshtigo Times online.

Oconto County Warned Of Pending 2011 Budget Woes
“We’ll have to apply some fund balance to next year’s budget or impose some very serious cuts,” Administrative Coordinator Kevin Hamann told Oconto County Board at their regular monthly meeting Thursday, June 24 as they reviewed his advice in the 2011 Budget Guidance letter. After some discussion, on a motion made by Supervisor Scott McMahon, seconded by Supervisor Guy Gooding, the 31 member board voted to send the letter back to Finance/Insurance Committee for further consideration. Opposition was centered on inclusion of tentative 1.5 percent raises for county personnel.

“Continued underfunded and unfunded state and federal mandates will compound the need to make very difficult decisions,” Hamann further stated in the letter. He warned if they keep taking from the fund balance, eventually it will run out. The reserve fund was hit to the tune of $930,621 in 2009, and “It is anticipated that for 2010 the County will run in the red again, due to lower investment rates, increased personnel costs (wages and insurance), higher operating costs such as fuel, and increased utilization of county services.”

Looks like the O C board will have to make some decisions in the future about the up coming budgets. Oconto County in the past was called a poor county. With areas like the southern part of the county and a lot of high taxed lake properties, I wonder how can the board have financial woes? Maybe the board should live with in it's means like the rest of the people in Oconto County. Will they raise TAXES?

You can go to the Times to read the whole article.