Kelso adds to budget details Brown County Executive Carol Kelso discusses her proposed budget during the county board meeting Wednesday (photo by H. Marc Larson). She emphasizes 'safety net' line in human services By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle County Executive Carol Kelso says Brown County's budget cuts will emphasize consolidation, removal of vacant positions and deletions of nonmandated services. Kelso, the morning after releasing her proposed 2004 budget, told reporters that while there were large cuts in Human Services numbers, most came from consolidation. "Some contracts got cut 20 to 30 percent because the number of clients they've been seeing didn't meet the numbers we were contracting for," she said. She said she has increased a line for "other programs" from $1.7 million to $3 million to help cover some of the cutbacks in contracted programs. "We've tried to free up funds for other programs," she said. "There is a two-year waiting list for some of those programs." One program that has received attention is the Positive Parenting program run by ASPIRO, an organization that aids the developmentally disabled. Kelso said the people served by the program could be better served by coming into a community integration program "where we can offer a range of services for them." She noted that ASPIRO has a "very healthy reserve" from past county spending, which county officials estimated at more than $350,000. Another is the YWCA Teen Parenting program, aimed at underage mothers. "That's certainly up to the County Board (to possibly reinstate it)," Kelso said. "Actually, it's a mandate of the schools. There are at least three other programs that do that. If the County Board wants to fund that program, then you should pull in all the providers, make the decision and divide that money up." Cuts in the sheriff's budget will be a key topic when the budget is discussed, she expects. Kelso said she has hopes a change in contracts letting outside vendors, instead of the Mental Health Center, provide jail meals will save a large amount, perhaps $800,000 to $900,000 according to early numbers. The other proposal from Sheriff Dennis Kocken that was not acted upon was a proposal to allow monitoring bracelets for work-release county inmates, freeing staff numbers. A plan to cut an arson task force reflects the fact that the county could use the city task force for some investigations and rely on insurance investigations for others. Kelso noted that the sheriff's preliminary budget had heavy layoffs of officers, something she didn't want to do. "He had proposed eliminating 21 officers off the road and 16 corrections officers and jail corporals," said Brian Verheyden of the executive's staff. Instead, a breakdown of the position changes shows 22 cuts, including five staff members and only four patrol officers. Most of the cuts are at management levels. As for other layoffs, Kelso said, it was difficult to provide exact numbers because many position cuts are based on expected, but not finalized, retirements. "When you reduce staff, you don't necessarily cut people," she said. "There are some vacant positions that have been vacant for more than a year. Our feeling is that if a position has been vacant for more than a year, you probably don't need it." The county also is doing away with many paid interns. "We'll still have unpaid ones, if you're interested," Kelso said. She also used the session to clear up some errors in pre-budget reports: There is no increase in "tipping fees," the fees charged to use the county's waste transfer station. Part of the problem was an error in the printing of the budget. The actual fee will be $20.50, down from $21.66 this year after the station opened. Kelso did say the county was pulling about $190,000 out of the solid waste department as a payment in lieu of taxes and rent that they get on the land. "We are not pulling millions out of their reserves," she said. The Solid Waste department generates revenue through such fees. The Southwest Library is still in the budget, but the bookmobile is out. Kelso said studies show most of Brown County lives within 10 minutes of the library, except for some areas in the southern end of the county. Fees for both marriage licenses and death certificates will increase, but Kelso said most of the increase was to match costs. The county clerk's office suggested the higher fee. "We're hoping the marriage fee will be a one-time fee for most people," Kelso joked. "Out of that figure," said administration director Jeff Landin, "a portion goes to the state and a portion goes to mediation services and the Family Violence Center." He said a study two years ago show it cost the county $43 to process a marriage license. FYI Here's a tentative schedule of when county committees and the Brown County Board will take up budget matters. Some committees had not set dates as of Thursday. Times are subject to change and rooms have not been assigned: Library Board, 7:30 a.m. today at the Central Library, 515 Pine St. Education and Recreation Committee, 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Human Services Committee, Oct. 29. Administration Committee, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Executive Committee, 5:15 p.m. Nov. 3. Public Safety, 4:30 p.m. Nov. 5. County Board, 9 a.m. Nov. 12 (and 9 a.m. Nov. 13 if necessary).