Dane County debate: proposals to cut vacant sheriff deputy posts to fund shelters and human services paused for more data

Dane County Public Protection & Judiciary Committee on Oct. 16 heard heated testimony and detailed staffing data as supervisors considered amendments that would eliminate vacant deputy positions in the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and use the savings to shore up homeless shelter operations and reverse cuts to human services contracts.

The amendments under discussion (PP&J 2, 3 and 4) would remove a total of 28 deputy positions across three proposals and apply some of that funding to operating the new men’s shelter, creating overflow/warming-shelter capacity and restoring portions of point-of-service (POS) contract funding for human services providers. Committee members postponed votes on the amendments to the committee’s next meeting Tuesday for further review.

Why it matters

Supporters described the measures as emergency responses to service gaps that could cost lives this winter. Brenda Konkle, speaking for the Homeless Services Consortium, said the county is short of operations funding for the men’s shelter and for overflow capacity: “We really do need this funding to keep people alive this winter.” Supervisor Marisa Wagner, sponsor of the shelter offsets, argued the men’s shelter as currently funded would not be able to operate 24/7 without additional county support and described overflow and day-center constraints: “If the Beacon can't…