Wisconsin Counties Association outlines state budget priorities in Eau Claire County briefing

Marcy Rainbolt, a lobbyist with the Wisconsin Counties Association, told the Eau Claire County Board on March 18 that Gov. Tony Evers’ biennial budget proposal contains a mix of county priorities and large new spending items that will face partisan negotiation in Madison.

Rainbolt said the state’s projected surplus is about $4.6 billion and the rainy day fund stands at a record roughly $1.9 billion, but cautioned that the Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s plain-language analysis — not yet released at the time of the presentation — will clarify which parts of the governor’s proposal are likely to survive the process. “There’s still a state surplus. It’s about $4,600,000,000,” Rainbolt said, and “we obviously have picked out some things that we’re gonna talk to you guys about tonight.”

The presentation, delivered by Rainbolt with colleagues Colin Driscoll and Chelsea Shanks, walked supervisors through the governor’s priorities and the Wisconsin Counties Association’s (WCA) asks. WCA highlighted funding requests and administrative changes the association has prioritized after collecting county input through steering committees and its membership process.

Why it matters: the governor’s plan would change funding formulas and create new programs that affect county budgets and services. Several provisions that WCA supports — including additional money for county-run circuit courts and for county conservation staffing — are included in the governor’s proposal but are subject to change once the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) begins work.

Key points from the WCA briefing

- Courts and public safety: Rainbolt said Gov. Evers included $24.5 million in the…