County board approves budget overruns

The Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors approved taking nearly $200,000 from its unassigned general fund to cover overruns from 2024.

The move balanced the 2024 budget, eliminating what was shown as a deficit at the end of the year. Supervisor Robert Baecker pointed out that more than half of the overruns were for administration fees. Of the $196,198.87 in overruns, $108,440.24 was from the administration department. 

“It was due to something that was outside of our control, really,” Baecker said. “I just want to make that point.”

Supervisor Richard Anderson questioned what those fees were for and was told they were unexpected legal fees. 

The second-largest overrun came from the county clerk’s department relating to the cost of the audit. Clerk Mary Martin, who was sworn into office earlier this year, said that her understanding is that the county is at the mercy of the auditors. 

Supervisor Bridgett Turner suggested that the county should discuss working with other auditors to try and bring the cost down. Supervisor Dick Miller said the county should try to get a “firm estimate” on the cost beforehand to help with the budget process.

“Obviously, we didn’t anticipate the increase that occurred,” Miller said of the $34,487 overrun. 

Other overruns included: County board, $7,841.74; Coroner, $9,155.54; Clerk, $12,177.40; Clerk-elections, $1,842.38, and Information Technology, $22,254.57. 

The board also approved increasing the fee charged for marriage licenses from $60 to $100. The fees hadn’t changed since 2004 and Board Chair John Aasen said that he knew of people who came to Trempealeau County from La Crosse County just because the marriage licenses were cheaper. 

Supervisors approved a resolution requesting a Wisconsin stakeholder forum on solar energy projects and related matters. The resolution noted that Trempealeau County residents have expressed concerns about solar energy projects, but those are regulated by state law. The request was sent to state officials in hopes of improving communication. 

Supervisors heard from Trempealeau County Highway Department Commissioner Neil Olson who said he wants to be more transparent with the board so it can better understand how the department operates. He explained several larger projects the highway department has taken on this year, including a $1.04 million project on County S near Blair. 

Olson requested a five percent budget increase annually to help the department keep up with maintaining county highways. He said the county has 296 miles of roads to maintain with each having a life expectancy of 30 years, which means the county would need to maintain an average of 9.87 miles per year. The increased budget wouldn’t be enough to cover the costs necessary to meet that goal, but Olson said it would be close. 

Human Services Director Jay Hein told the board he has been working on building a positive culture in his department. He pointed out a staff appreciation breakfast funded by the leadership team. He also said the county has been able to promote people from within, which has also helped the culture. 

Hein said the department has been using the Trempealeau County Health Care Center more, noting that five referrals were sent to the local institution in 2024 after just two were sent in 2023. 

Baecker noted the awards won by WTCO, the Trempealeau County Community Television station. The station won eight wards at the Best of the Midwest Media Festival. Baecker complimented the work done by county employees and volunteers to keep the station going. 

“They work hard. I want to keep that in mind when it comes to budget time,” Baecker said.