An ad hoc committee of the Rock County Board of Supervisors recommended on Oct. 10 that the county turn a one-year youth-in-governance pilot into a permanent program that runs April to April and enrolls six to 10 participants each year.

The committee, which ran the 2024 pilot, urged the board to formalize an oversight ad hoc youth and governance committee and to expand recruitment beginning in November to reach public, private, parochial and homeschooled students. The report says the program pairs each participant with an adult mentor and includes orientation and an educational field trip to the state capitol. The committee requested a small operating budget of approximately $5,000; that amount is included in the county administrator’s recommended 2026 budget.

Why it matters: County officials said the program gives young residents direct experience in county government, exposes them to a full budget cycle and aims to improve civic knowledge and leadership among youth who may pursue public-sector careers.

The committee report cited the pilot’s tangible outcomes: six participants in the first pilot year, direct mentor relationships valued by students and board members, and lessons learned on recruitment timing. The report recommends limiting cohort sizes to no more than 10 participants to match program staffing and resources and starting recruitment earlier to increase outreach to schools across Rock County.

The committee asked the county board to consider a resolution formalizing these recommendations; the resolution was filed with the county clerk the same day and may return for a vote at a subsequent meeting. The report’s authors — including two supervisors who will sponsor the forthcoming resolution — requested that the board review the recommendations before acting.

Discussion versus action: The board did not vote on the resolution on Oct. 10. The meeting served as a report-back and informational presentation; a formal vote was reserved for a future meeting. The county administrator’s recommended budget already contains the requested $5,000 line for program expenses, meaning no additional appropriation would be required if the budget is adopted as proposed.

Next steps: If approved, the program would continue on an April-to-April schedule, expand recruitment beginning in November of the preceding year, and operate with an ad hoc oversight committee and a small annual budget to cover orientation, a state-capitol field trip and routine incidentals.