We honored Lynn Horkan for over 29 years of service to Sauk County as the Finance Director. Congratulations Lynn. We also honored Sandee Bindl for over 25 years of service to Sauk County. Sandee worked as a Child Protective Services Social Worker.

We then had a presentation and update on the Baraboo Sauk County campus redevelopment plan. They have started receiving public input on what to do with the campus now that UW Platteville is leaving. More on this later.

Joanne Kitelinger, Windy Warren and Heather Blackwell were all appointed as citizen members to Families Come First/Comprehensive Community Services Coordinating Committee.

The board voted 22-0 to approve designating Attolles Law to perform certain duties of Corporation Counsel while both the Corporation Counsel and Assistant Corporation Counsel are vacant.

The board voted 22-0 to designate county depositories. This is standard and annual practice.

The board voted 22-0 in support of sustainable transportation funding.

Transportation funding is normally funded through the Segregated Transportation Fund. The state collects user fees (gas tax, registration fees, etc.) and that revue is segregated into its own account which is then used to fund local transportation programs. The last several budget cycles saw the state offer general purpose revenue to fund transportation. This was able to be done because of a budget surplus. The state will not always have a surplus, or a big enough surplus to cover the deficit in transportation funding. That is why there is a push to get our state legislators to find sustainable funding for transportation. There have been some measures taken to try to deal with the shortfall in funding. An additional registration fee for hybrid or electric vehicles in one. Wheel tax is another. Neither of these will solve the problem without an excessive fee structure. And in my opinion more tax breaks will only make things worse. While this resolution does not push for a specific solution, it does essentially ask the state to acknowledge that they have to come up with a new solution. Best of luck in the current political climate.

The board voted 22-0 to authorize an underground electric easement for Alliant Energy through a Sauk County owned foreclosure property.

As always, any opinions expressed here are my opinions and do not represent the Sauk County Board.