11-8-17 fdl county budget includes funding for government center security

The Fond du Lac County Board has adopted a 2018 budget that includes funding to make the government center secure.   The county board last night voted to use a small portion of sales tax revenue to purchase the equipment, including a metal detector.   The cost to staff the checkpoint at the north entrance to the government building would be funded through the general fund.  The county finance committee had recommended the entire cost be funded through sales tax revenue.  County executive Al Buechel says using general  fund dollars will have an impact on next year’s budget.  “This is only for about four months so we’re going to have to come up with about three times that amount, another $120,000 or $130,000,  out of the general fund next year,”  Buechel said.  Board supervisors pointed to a resolution approved by the county board several  years ago stating that sales tax revenue could not be used for salaries.   Buechel says the county is paying the price for that decision.   “It was a county board decision and doesn’t even comply with our (sales tax) ordinance.  The ordinance does not restrict , but that resolution does,”  Buechel said.  “That was an efffort by some supervisors to grandstand a few years ago by sun setting the sales tax.”   The county and city are being asked to jointly fund the estimated $250,000 cost.   The city council is scheduled to vote on the city budget at their meeting  Wednesday night.  Meanwhile, Buechel says the budget  also diverts money from certain areas to provide an across the board one percent pay increase for county employees.