From our readers

To the Editor:

Is it 1960 again? I had another good laugh reading the letter that was published in the Jan. 3, 2012 edition from the old Brazeau Town Clerk, Pam Duddek. The old clerk is sounding more and more like some leftover radical from the 60’s than a former Town Clerk. I hope she’s not planning a demonstration at the Town Hall.

Just over a year ago the old clerk played a big hand in deceiving the taxpayers by a sum of over $268,000 and now she is going to advise everyone on grants and budgets. If you use the old clerk’s rationale to explain a budget, then you could say that the new Board cut spending by well over $200,000 this year. After all, you would need to factor in the $179,000 FEMA grant that was awarded for the new tanker last year, which is not in this year’s budget. What about the change in state transportation aid for 2012? I guess those amounts wouldn’t fit into the old clerk’s number juggling scheme.

Last month, the old clerk sent a letter to the editor belly-aching about not cutting spending and now she’s sent a letter belly-aching about cutting spending.

Fact, the new Board cut out a lot of unnecessary spending. Opinion, the old clerk is “madder than an old wet hen” about it.

Next, the old clerk tries to lecture us on State Statutes. It helps a lot if you reference the correct Statute. The old clerk claims that under Wis. � 60.50 (2) the Town Board is responsible for all Town highways. That is actually found in Wis. � 82.03 (1) (a).

The old clerk claims that the “road to nowhere” is located on private property. Really, just about every Town road that is laid out is located on private property, whether it is a recorded highway or unrecorded highway. The original alignment of Tank Lane, at the time that it was constructed, was laid out around a wetland, as many roads are. If you use the old clerk’s flawed logic, then every road that is laid out around a wetland or lake or has a curve is built on private land and roads that are laid out on straight alignments are not.

As for the altering of the “road to nowhere” in 2010, that too is addressed in Chapter 82. Had the old clerk and the former Board followed State Statute, it could have saved the taxpayers close to $80,000 of unnecessary spending and prevented a considerable amount of environmental damage in the process.

Wis. � 82.10 (4) requires that a public hearing be held and that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) be notified before a Town Board can authorize the altering of an existing road.

This is what’s puzzling. Back in April, when I took office, I reviewed the Tank Lane file and discovered that a draft notice for a public hearing/resolution was in the file and that it was prepared by none other than the old clerk and it was dated well before 2010.

Why is it that a public hearing was not held concerning this matter or why wasn’t the DNR notified beforehand, given the fact that the old clerk was fully aware of the statutory requirements long before 2010? One can only imagine what else the old clerk is trying to keep hidden.

I see the old clerk claims to use the information that I have presented in past letters as a source, which is good, and based on the old clerk’s quote “Beware of a politician who tells you what you want to hear for they are deceitful,” I have to reckon that the old clerk must find me to be a very honest person, because everything I seem to say is not at all what she wants to hear.

Peace, Love and Power to the People,

Darrell Enix, Supervisor

Jan. 9

To the Editor:

Recent letters to the editor regarding the reduction in the school tax portion of property taxes for the School District of Wausaukee have first thanked Governor Walker for the reduction and then followed with a letter denying that the Governor’s budget plan had anything to do with the reduction and was due solely to the fact that the building debt had been paid off. Both are only partially true so as Paul Harvey used to say “now the rest of the story.”

The portion of the levy reduction due to retiring the building referendum debt was only part of the total. The balance of the levy reduction was largely attributable to the Walker budget plan which among other things lowered the revenue cap by 5 1/2 % for all school districts in the state. Both of these reduction amounts were significant.

Unseen as yet in tax levy terms as a result of the new law are other benefits of a longer term nature in reducing the cost to the taxpayer for operating our schools. The employees are now required to contribute 1/2 of the total contribution to the Wisconsin Retirement System, currently 5.8% of salary (the District also pays 5.8% for the employers share of the 11.6% total WRS contribution). So for every million dollars in district salaries the district has a cost savings of $58,000. In the case of heath care insurance, employees are now required to contribute to a portion of those costs as well which for many districts will result in further cost savings. Wausaukee had been doing this since 2008.

It is not exaggerating to say that perhaps one of the largest benefits from the change in law is the ability to manage other post employment benefits which for most school districts have resulted in very large and growing unfunded liabilities in future years. At Wausaukee that unfunded liability, estimated by an actuarial study in 2010, has been reduced and capped at a level which will result in savings to the taxpayer of about $3.0 million in the future.

For school districts that have extended employee contracts which went beyond the 2010-2011 school-year, some if not all of the “tools” in the Walker budget are not as yet available. The challenges of delivering quality education to our kids at the lowest possible cost to our taxpayers remain, but overall one must say that because of the new rules districts will be better able to face those challenges.

If those who wish to discuss school tax levies are able to attend the School District of Wausaukee annual meeting, you will find these matters discussed in detail, with an opportunity to ask questions and receive answers.

Dave Kipp,

Wausaukee

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