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June 2007 Newsletter
participating in the tax reform effort! Fellow Cart Members - The CART team has continued to attend numerous county board meetings and executive meetings to keep abreast of ongoing issues and concerns. A few items that we will be watching are the possibility of Barron County receiving a third Circuit Court Judgeship. If the state legislature gives approval of six new positions throughout Wisconsin, one being in Barron County, an expansion of the Justice Center is possible. Other issues include the creation of a county "Dog Catcher" with a projected cost of $87,000 in 2008 (47% in fee revenue and 53% tax levy dollars). There is also talk about hiring a weekend jail nurse, a juvenile justice supervisor and increasing the mileage and food allowance per diem's for volunteer drivers assisting the elderly, disabled and institutionalized citizens of Barron County. As some of you may be aware there has been an ongoing controversy in the county since February to consolidate the Veterans Service Office with the Aging and Disability Resource Center. For the past several months hundreds of veterans have attended the county board meetings and verbally opposed this merger. They wanted to protect the veterans' privacy, disapproved of the cross training between the departments and wanted their own committee reestablished. GOOD NEWS - their presence and voices made a difference! The County Board decided at their June meeting to reinstate the Veterans Service Committee as the oversight committee for the VSO. It goes to show that the citizens can make a difference, but they have to be seen, heard and persistent. This may sound petty but since CART was designed to keep an eye on excessive spending and taxes in Barron County, perhaps the following isn't so petty after all. Last year, in the infinite wisdom of the county board, our illustrious administrator, Duane Hebert, received a $2,500 bonus in addition to his $88,000 salary for balancing the 2006 budget. Mr. Hebert's salary was then increased by $7,000 to $95,000 for 2007. The bonus money spent was also out of our county tax dollars. In other words, the county chose to pay the bonus to Mr. Hebert for doing the job he was hired to accomplish. In addition to this outrageous gesture awarded by the board, Mr. Hebert also receives $200 a month for in-county mileage compensation for his travels. One can only hope that the county this year when Mr. Hebert's position comes up for revue will be a bit wiser and not generous with our tax dollars. It seems a shame that the county can't seem to award the veterans with recognition for their service on Veterans Day, but can defiantly turn around and award tax dollars to someone that apparently has total control over this county. Veterans had to continually fight for their rights - Mr. Hebert just asks once and the board gives him whatever he needs. We want CART to continue to be a watchdog on this kind of county spending and will let the board know of this unacceptable behavior. Your attendance at the county board meetings can make a difference. Make a point to come to a couple meetings and you may be surprised at what you learn. Well, 2007 is nearly half over and December is just right around the corner! So now what does that mean to all of us? Ah, the jolly old fellow just may come to mind but not for us here at CART. This coming December is the filling month for anyone wishing to run for the county board in April of 2008. CART had seven candidates run for the county board in April of 2006 with only one being elected. The one major thing CART has learned in three and one half years of existence (WOW, has it really been that long) is that to be able to make a difference - we have to change the FACE of the county board. We are once again looking for possible candidates to run for the county board in 2008. If you or someone you know would make a good candidate please contact us and we'll do our best to assist you in obtaining the necessary filing papers and try to help in your campaign. Remember, this is your county and it can only get better with your help and participation. Your CART Team We would love to hear from you - please join us at our NEXT MEETING - Tuesday, August 7 7:00 pm CART Meeting - Almena VFW
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