November 22, 2006

As the City of Prairie du Chien Common Council prepares for tonight's public hearing on the 2007 budget, they are looking at an increase of 1.31 percent in property tax revenue, which, when offset by an overall decrease of 0.02 percent in the total levy, will mean residents will have a slightly smaller property tax bill next year.

The major reasons for the 1.31 percent increase in property taxes, said City Administrator Gordon Gallagher, are increasing health insurance costs and contract-mandated salary increases. City Administrator Gordon Gallagher presented the figures by using a $100,000 homes as an example. Last year's combined property taxes on that home would have been $2,941.56; 2007 taxes would be $2,918.07 if the proposed budget is adopted.

If approved, the proposed storm water utility would further reduce residential property taxes. As the proposal stands now, it would mean a reduction of $77.43 for a hypothetical $100,000 home. Even with the separate utility charge figured in, which would be $51.36 per residential unit, the owner of that $100,000 house would save $26.07 in 2007.

Where does an individual's property tax go? As the accompanying chart shows, 28 percent goes to the the City of Prairie du Chien, 38 percent to the public school system, 26 percent to the county, seven percent to Southwest Tech and the remaining one percent to the state.

Of the city's share, 30 percent goes to public safety, which includes police, fire and ambulance protection; 23 percent to public works, including recycling, street maintenance and construction, lighting, sewer and water; 16 percent to debt service; 13 percent to culture and recreation, including the library, parks and Hoffman Hall facilities; 12 percent to general government, which covers mayor and council salaries and all other general expenses of running a city government, and four percent to conservation and development, which includes funding for the planning commission, economic development and Chamber of Commerce.

Major increases in revenue come from special assessments for utility work done on the east side of the city and for sidewalks in the Dousman Street area as well as an additional $300,000 TIF revenues.

Two items show up on the budget proposal as major increases in expenses for 2007, but may be misleading without explanation. One is a 46 percent increase in debt service principal; however, that actually is good news. The additional TIF revenues enabled the city to increase its debt principal payment. The other, an increase of 1,385 percent, represents the expense of the storm sewer feasibility study, which will be offset by a grant to cover the expenses.

Law enforcement expenses have actually gone down slightly, since retiring police officers have been replaced by new officers who, as beginners, are placed at a lower position on the salary scale.

The City Council is scheduled to hold a hearing on the budget this Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

There has been a lot of tension in the Crawford County Sheriff's office this fall. The day after the September 12 primary election, when he lost to former undersheriff Jerry Moran, Sheriff Bob Ostrander came in to his office and cleaned out all of his personal items.

After eight years in office and thirty-seven years in law enforcement in Crawford County, the Sheriff is going out on a sour note.

Since then, has worked only the minimum amount of hours necessary to complete his official duties.

"As of this time, things are still functioning," said Gary Knickerbocker, chairman of the county board's public safety committee.

"He's doing basic stuff," Knickerbocker explained. "He does come in, he does attend meetingsƒI know people are concerned about this," he added.

According to Crawford County Board Chairman Ron Leys, there isn't much the county can do about it. After meeting with the county's corporate counsel, Mark Peterson, to discuss the options the county had in dealing with Ostrander, Leys decided to meet with the Sheriff. He told Ostrander that the board expected him to fulfill the obligations of his position, and that the county didn't want to pay a full-time wage to a part time employee.

"He said to me, "Well, you don't have much choice.' And he was right," Leys said. "It's pretty much up to a sheriff to decide what a sheriff's job is," Leys explained. The sheriff can legally delegate most tasks to others, if he so chooses, Leys explained.

According to Leys, there is a Wisconsin statute against abandonment of duty by public officials. But it does not apply to sherrifs, because the law tries to keep the position of sheriff above political disputes.

In an interview, Ostrander responded that he is not spending as much time in the office as he had previously.

"Just because I'm not in the office doesn't mean the county is going to suffer," Ostrander explained. If a citizen wants to contact him, they can call the Sheriff's Department and ask his secretary or the Deputy to contact him, he said.

"They all have my cell number," he explained.

Ostrander said he is spending more time with family and out in the county, recently responding to deer hunting-related calls. "I do more law enforcement than people are aware of, and I always have."

Reportedly, Ostrander has not spoken to many people since the primary; people who are his working partners; people like city Police Chief Mike King, County Emergency Management Director Roger Martin, and outgoing coroner Camille Smith.

Ostrander's response to this is forthright. He says that he does not like Mike King, and that he doesn't have to talk to coroner Camille Smith because there haven't been any deaths in the county recently. If people want to talk to him, "My door swings open too," he said.

Members of the county board have heard concerns from citizens about the sheriff, especially, after an Associated Press news report about Ostrander circulated in papers across Wisconsin on Nov. 1. Leys said he has had calls from constituents.

"People are concerned," Leys said. "They are not happy."

According to Knickerbocker and Leys, much of the day-to-day operation of the Sheriff's department has fallen to Chief Deputy Jerry Matousek. The chief deputy position is now the highest ranking position below that of sheriff, since the county board eliminated the position of undersheriff earlier this year, after Ostrander dismissed former undersheriff Jerry Moran late last winter.

Leys said that Matousek has been shouldering the primary responsibility for the transition of the office to the new sheriff, and he is very pleased with Matusek's work.

Knickerbocker also praised Chief Deputy Matusek. "He's doing a fantastic job. We on the county board are very pleased with him, he said.

Former undersheriff, Jerry Moran, beat Ostrander in the September primary, and won the general election on Nov. 7 to succeed him as the new sheriff. Moran takes up office on January 1.

Ostrander says he plans to spend more time with family when he completes his duties, and that he will go on with his life. "I'm the same person that I was four years agoƒin my heart . . . that I've always been."

"When I lock that door, I'm not looking back," he said.

Prairie du Chien school Superintendent James O'Meara last week announced his plans to retire at the end of this school year. O'Meara, who took over as superintendent in 2001, said, "I'll be 62 May 28, and I felt it was a good time to turn the reins over to somebody else."

Once he retires, O'Meara plans to stay in the city and remain involved. He is currently president of Rotary Club and also treasurer for the Ft. Crawford Historical Society "My college major was history," he said, "and there's a wealth of history in this area."

A native of Farley, IA, he is close to his roots and centrally located for visiting his four children and eight grandchildren, who are living in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois.

He and his wife, Carol, plan to continue their favorite recreational pursuit of cycling--they have cycled on trails all over Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin--and do more traveling. In celebration of his forthcoming retirement, they have booked a 12-day trip to Alaska next summer.

Of his six-year term as superintendent in Prairie du Chien, he said, "It's been a very good experience for me. I feel we've come a long way in this district academically. I think we've made a major impact in a lot of different areas."