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Candidates debate sales tax and fiscal shortfalls as county faces deferred capital needs
Summary
Candidates discussed Winnebago County’s structural deficits, deferred maintenance estimated by a candidate at roughly $200 million, and whether a local sales tax should be considered to address capital needs or property-tax relief.
Fiscal health and the option of a county sales tax were prominent at the forum as candidates described structural budget shortfalls and deferred capital needs.
Dan John Damel, the incumbent, said the county faces a large backlog of deferred maintenance and identified a roughly $200 million total over the next several years for capital repairs. He said a local sales tax could be considered if used to reduce the debt levy or fund capital projects that otherwise would be bonded. "I don't think we need it at this time, but it's definitely not off the table," Damel said, and added that counties that have adopted a local option sales tax had lowered mill rates.
Gordon Hintz warned that a sales tax is regressive and said the county must first get a firmer handle on spending and the accuracy of financial records before adding new revenue. He cited recent budget adjustments and borrowing from fund balances and said the county had ``a $6.8 million budget deficit'' baked into the last budget and that fund balance withdrawals had masked structural issues. Hintz proposed program evaluation and a clearer multi-year fiscal picture before considering new revenue.
Sheriff John Motts opposed using a sales tax to balance the operational budget and suggested alternative revenue-generation steps, such as charging other counties to house inmates or increasing utilization at county facilities like Parkview, while cautioning that such options require careful analysis.
Damel said the county's past financial management had inconsistencies tied to an earlier implementation of its financial system (Tyler Munis) and that recent hires in finance should help reconcile actuals and audits. He also cited an earlier audit and claimed the county previously had a $27 million surplus despite prior structural deficits; that sequence of numbers was offered by Damel as part of his assessment of why a clearer accounting is needed.
Candidates agreed on the need for program evaluation, improved budgeting practices and transparency before any wholesale revenue changes. They left open the possibility of a sales tax as part of a broader, transparent plan that would either lower property taxes or fund capital needs rather than become permanent new operational revenue.
Voters were given contrasting approaches: Damel signaled willingness to consider a targeted sales tax for capital relief, Hintz urged program and fiscal discipline before new taxes, and Motts emphasized operational savings and increased facility use as alternatives.
