BROWN COUNTY SUPERVISOR NICHOLSON IS BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE

Below is a news item from the Green Bay Press Gazette on the Brown County Board Executive Committee consideration of a resolution by a Brown County Board Supervisor Andy Nicholson that would ask the state Legislature to give the county statutory authority in licensing of restaurants.

I agree with some of his fellow Brown County Board Supervisors that feel this matter is not one that the county government should be taking on. I feel there is more important functions and services that county government should be concerned with, I hope that you agree.


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Brown County Board cools to immigration plan
Proposal to control worker hiring sent back to subcommittee
By Tony Walter twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Executive Committee of the Brown County Board has slowed down a supervisor's efforts to try to give the county authority to regulate the employment of undocumented workers by area restaurants.

The committee voted unanimously Monday to send the issue back to the Legislative Subcommittee after several supervisors said it was unfair to single out restaurants. They also said the county's resources would be better used to crack down on criminal activity and illegal welfare recipients.

"We need to go after the big problems," said Supervisor Patrick Evans.

Supervisor Andy Nicholson proposed a resolution that would ask the state Legislature to give the county statutory authority in licensing of restaurants. This came in the wake of a similar action by the Green Bay City Council.

Supervisor Bill Clancy said the efforts to control illegal immigration through licensing authority "is something we have no business being involved in."

Supervisor Steve Fewell said the county shouldn't take a punitive approach to the matter but should make all employers aware of ways they can be proactive in making sure they're not hiring undocumented workers.

"I think it's (the resolution) a little short-sighted at this point," Fewell said.

In other action, the committee voted to return authority over the county's 911 center to the county executive, a move recommended by County Executive Tom Hinz last week. Supervision of the center was transferred to the sheriff's department last year when county Executive Carol Kelso and the board feuded.

The board will vote on the recommendation at its May 16 meeting.

CANNOT ASK FOR MORE IF NOT WILLING TO ALLOW COUNTIES TO RAISE REVENUE TO MEET THE COST

Below you will find a item from Wispolitics.com reporting on the Joint Finance Committee action on the Governor's proposal to increase the Real Estate Transfer fee by $3. The governor was going to use the additional money and give it counties in the state.

But before you think that the Governor is trying to find a way to help out county governments and their budgets. The increase aid money the county would receive because of the higher real estate transfer fee does come with a catch. This money was to offset the increase charge the state will place on counties when placing youth in state juvenile facilities.

I say if your not going to give counties the aid money by way of the higher real estate transfer fee proposed by the Governor, then you can not increase the charge counties pay in juvenile placements--which I believe are done by judges not county employees.

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The Joint Finance Committee deadlocked 8-8 along party lines today on a motion to delete Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal to double the the real estate transfer fee to $6 per $1,000 in transferred value.Republicans moved to eliminate the hike, while Dems insisted it would blow a hole in the budget.The committee then took up a proposal from co-chair Sen. Russ Decker, D-Weston, to modify the governor's proposal. His motion would keep transfer fees on properties of $200,000 or less at $3 per $1,000 in value while increasing the tax to $6 per $1,000 on properties exceeding $200,000.

Under Decker's proposal, counties would continue to get 20 percent of fees collected at the $3 rate and would get 10 percent on transfers at the $6 rate.Meanwhile, committee Republicans are circulating a motion that would reduce the rate of the fee from $3 per $1,000 to $2 per $1,000 in 2009-10, and to $1 per $1,000 in 2010-11 ad thereafter.Under the proposal, the collections would be shared 60-40 among the state and the counties, and beginning in 2010-11 the counties would retain 100 percent of the fee. For more, see the WisPolitics Budget Blog:http://blogs.wispolitics.com/budget.html