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Board debates new budget-management code; aims for a columnized, more transparent budget
Summary
Supervisors debated county-code amendments to align budget procedures with state statute and introduce a budget-management policy. Supporters say the 'column' format will increase transparency; critics want to preserve that the administrator's recommended budget remains clearly presented.
The board engaged in extended debate over File 25-26-047, a package of code changes and a budget-management policy intended to align Eau Claire County's budget process with state statute (65.90) and to streamline deliberations. Proponents described a new columnized presentation that will show the department request, the administrator's recommendation, oversight-committee suggestions and the finance & budget recommendation in adjacent columns to improve comparability and reduce the number of on-floor amendments.
Supervisor Pagona summarized the approach, saying participants will "think about last year, we got a little book and a big book" to explain the two-document model and how finance and budget will present its recommendation. Several supervisors emphasized that individual supervisors and oversight committees will still be able to propose amendments on the floor and that the changes are intended to increase transparency rather than to remove supervisors' amendment rights. Concerns centered on wording that could be read to let the finance committee's recommendation supplant the administrator's recommended budget; supporters said the intent is to present both side-by-side and preserve floor-amendment rights.
