The Manitowoc County Board of Supervisors voted to pass the 2025 budget, but not without some challenges.
The board voted 15-9 after some board members wanted to make some changes, including a new $60,000 wage study funded by the new county sales tax.
Supervisor Dylan Hammel made the motion, saying the study won’t just bring money to the county.
“And to get them to a level of competitiveness around the area as well,” he stated.
“It’s not to just bring people here. It’s to keep people here as well.”
8th District Supervisor Don Zimmer and 3rd District Supervisor Rita Metzger both said they were against the change for different reasons.
Zimmer told the board, “These proposals need more careful deliberation. This stuff should have been brought before committees like finance and personnel for their deliberation.”
Metzger explained, “I also don’t believe in this one. In personnel, when we can’t get someone to get the job because the wages aren’t there, we have to raise them because otherwise we’re going to be without these employees.”
The wage study and new line item in the budget failed.
Board supervisors also made other motions, such as changing funding for a salt brine facility and cutting money out of the Human Services Budget in levied positions.
11th District Supervisor Ryan Phipps said he doesn’t think it’s fair that other departments are taking a hit because of one department, and he made the motion to cut four positions.
“Part of my thinking is to protect the employees throughout the county, and then to protect some of the departments with potential further problems or further reduction revenue,” he explained.
“Like possibly slowdown in the economy.”
Members of the board 6-18 to vote the change to the budget down.
Board members then discussed what they don’t like in the budget like how a new 0.5 % sales tax, that was approved in July, won’t fix as much as was originally thought.
Board Chairman Tyler Martell tells Seehafer News that money from opioid settlements will pay back the Human Services Department deficit, which is getting $4.7 million.
However, the sales tax money will not cover the county budget’s needs.
He said Tuesday (November 12th) night, he now regrets voting for the sales tax.
“Because nothing changed, nothing,” he said.
“We’re not reducing property taxes by a large amount. We’re not changing our borrowing habits. We’re not reducing any spending. It’s status quo.”
The county budget also proposed borrowing about $3.25 million for more investment in road projects.
The next step is for County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer to sign it to make it official.
