CART - 2004 Year in Review Now that our Tax Bills have arrived, it's time for C.A.R.T. to give a brief summary of 2004. First of all, WE want to thank the nearly 7,000 Barron County Citizens who signed our Petition and supported us throughout the year, because without YOU, we would not have had the success that we did! In reviewing the 2005 County Budget we found that the County can operate with less than the average 13.8% increase in spending, and without any loss of services! Now, do not be misled, if C.A.R.T. had not been at the executive, finance and county board meetings in opposition and observation, we all know the outcome would have remained the same! Another year of a 13.8% increase in the county levy, instead of a -1.3% that we attained! We may have been left with the "proposed" 2005 budget of nearly $15,400,000 as to the 2005 adopted budget of $14,100,000. We must commend our supervisors for taking a positive step forward. What was actually done was to use some of your tax dollars that was just lying around (undesignated funds) doing nothing at all to buy down a loan. The next step that must taken is to actually cut the spending so that future tax levies will not increase more than 3%, or the average rate of increase in personal income. The Petition that C.A.R.T. circulated last spring asked the county board to bring any large expenditure to the citizens in the form of a Referendum. Which they did not do for "our" Justice Center and the upcoming $ 7.5 million bond issue for UW-BC campus in Rice Lake, which is scheduled to begin around August of this year. We are not in favor of doing the whole project at this time because THE COUNTY CANNOT AFFORD TO BORROW more money. Instead we propose that the project be done in phases to manage the spending to the available funds on hand and not increase the current outstanding debt of twenty two million dollars. Past history shows our county leaders NEED to be shown the way to manage spending and growth of government! In order for us to be successful, the REFERENDUM needs to be available, used and not denied! Fortunately, the issue of referendums will be in the spot light once again when TABOR (TAX PAYERS BILL of RIGHTS) comes before the State Legislature in the first quarter of 2005. TABOR caps government spending (state, county, cities, townships and SCHOOLS) at the rate of inflation, personal income growth, population and school enrollment. There are 11 states which already have some form of TABOR in place along with 16 others which have limits on growth and spending. C.A.R.T. will strive to inform Barron County citizens on the progress of TABOR. The rumors of the ill effects of TABOR are the product of government officials who fear a loss of power, and state, county, local and school employees whose salaries are derived from your taxes. In 2005 we will be looking at the selection of fiscally responsible candidates to run for our county board in the next election. Ray Johnson, C.A.R.T., Chetek, WI Larry Leff, C.A.R.T., Chetek, WI Charter Members Back to C.A.R.T. Newsletters and Meeting Minutes page.