In contrast to some tough debate in past years, the Oneida County Board Tuesday breezed through approval of a $51 million dollar budget for 2016.
The budget is down 11 percent, or $6.5 million dollars from 2015. Department heads were asked to cut expenditures by 5 percent says Supervisor Ted Cushing, who chaired the Finance committee for several years...
"....I will say this budget, 2016, was the best, and I don't want anybody to misinterpret this term, best orchestrated that has ever come across in my opinion..."
Due to less revenue from the state, the county faced a deficit unless cuts were made, but Cushing said the department heads and county workers all helped to make the cuts a reality.
Two amendments were both rejected by 16-2 votes. One would have taken the tax levy to the state- mandated cap and used the extra money to begin fixing county buildings, said to be costing in the $9 million range. Another amendment to give a pay raise to some department heads excluded in other raises was also rejected. Oneida County also cut funding for the Minocqua police dispatch, which acts as a backup should Oneida county's system break down.