A public hearing was held Oct. 18, allowing Dane County residents to speak on the proposed Dane County 2024 budget.
The 2024 Dane County budget was announced by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi Oct. 2. The total budget currently stands at $937.4 million, an increase of $103 million from the 2023 budget. The amendment process is underway, with county board members able to introduce amendments to alter the budget.
Clinical Director of Emergency Services at Journey Mental Health Center in Madison Hannah Flanagan spoke on the importance of having mental health resources in the county. For this work to continue, the board must approve amendments allowing for wage increases for Journey employees. Low wages are the primary reason Journey has lost staff, Flanagan said.
“Many of us know the Mr. Rogers quote, ‘look for the helpers,’” Flanagan said. “I can tell you that my staff are the helpers, and we need to make sure that while they’re taking care of your loved ones, they can still take care of theirs.”
Dane County residents Jamie Blessing and Sol Kelley-Jones spoke in favor of increasing the amount of money the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services program will receive in the 2024 budget. CARES responds to non-violent behavioral health emergency calls that do not require law enforcement, taking a police presence out of the equation, according to the program.
The program is set to receive a $200,000 grant to expand their services from the Madison area to Dane County as a whole. Blessing and Kelley-Jones say this is insufficient.
“Budgets are moral documents reflecting our values,” Blessing said. “I’m glad to see that the county is investing in staff expanding the CARES program countywide … while the $200,000 grant is an important and meaningful gesture, it pales in comparison to the $1.7 million being allocated for the Sheriff department’s new vehicles.”
Past lead veterinary technician at the Henry Vilas Zoo Mark Romanoski also spoke at the meeting regarding the $21 million expenditure for a new giraffe habitat at the zoo. Romanoski resigned earlier in 2023, citing concerns with zoo leadership, but felt he had to speak at this hearing as a former employee and taxpayer.
“I want the zoo to have all the money in the world,” Romanoski said. “I fully support the $21 million budget line, but based on my experience with Henry Vilas leadership and previous reports on issues, it is clear that those in positions of power in Dane County are protected rather than held accountable for missteps and they lack functional oversight. Transparency and accountability is vital with a budget line of this size on a project that will impact the zoo, the staff and animals for a long time.”
Leadership at Henry Vilas Zoo drew attention from the public in 2021, after sexual assault and retaliation allegations against the zoo’s director emerged. In 2023, Dane County and a zoo group had to pay $2.8 million to settle these allegations.
The Dane County 2024 budget will be voted on in November.
