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Board approves multiple 2027 CIP allocations from sales‑tax funds; highway funding items postponed pending bond timing
Summary
The Chippewa County Board approved a package of transfers from sales‑tax proceeds — including courthouse repairs, parks, fleet and sheriff’s equipment — and authorized specific amounts for IT, airport and land‑conservation projects while postponing broader highway bonding and CIP highway allocations until July.
The Chippewa County Board approved several capital improvement plan transfers using sales tax proceeds and other fund balances as part of the 2027 budget process, while deferring some highway funding items to align with forthcoming bonding decisions.
Administrator Alvarado reviewed the proposed CIP and identified 27 projects prioritized with department oversight committees. The board approved allocations including $175,000 for courthouse and law‑enforcement center exterior repairs, $60,000 for parks master‑plan implementation, $340,000 for non‑highway vehicle replacement, and smaller allocations for HVAC and security camera replacement. The board also approved use of sales tax to pay portions of existing debt service: $944,800 (2018 bonds), $253,675 (2020 bonds), $364,400 (2022 bonds) and $225,250 (2024 bonds) as listed in Resolution 14‑26.
Other approved items included a $132,890 annual contribution to the regional airport (restricted to airport capital and debt under the commission contract) and $364,850 for sheriff’s office equipment (body cameras, duty weapons replacement, PBTs, a live‑scan fingerprint machine, evidence‑room cameras and door access). The board also authorized IT device and camera replacements and several land conservation funding items (including a county forest land acquisition fund).
Highway department projects (Resolution 17‑26) and the initial bonding resolution to support highway projects were postponed to the July meeting to allow synchronizing CIP allocations with the ultimate bond decision. Finance staff said an additional half‑percent sales tax (if ever authorized and adopted) would generate an estimated $4.5 million annually based on current collections, and board members discussed whether such revenue should be used for debt service or current road/bridge construction priorities.
Votes on the individual CIP and transfer resolutions were recorded in each resolution’s motion (most passed unanimously or with strong majorities); the highway allocation was postponed to permit full board consideration when bond authority is finalized.
