Waupun asked to denounce Walker

WAUPUN — Department of Corrections workers are urging Waupun officials to draft an official resolution condemning Governor Scott Walker's Budget Repair Bill.

Former Waupun Alderman Pete Kaczmarski expressed disappointment Tuesday night that city officials have not gone on record to oppose the governor's plan to change collective bargaining for state public employees.

"It's time for you elected officials to stand up and take a stand," Kaczmarski, a dispatcher for the Dodge County Sheriff's Department, told the council during its meeting earlier this week.

Mayor Jodi Steger told the audience she and City Administrator Kyle Clark have been in direct contact with legislators and have made several calls and sent correspondence to the governor's office, stressing Waupun's dependence on state aid. Over half of Waupun's property is considered tax exempt.

"We haven't stopped having communication with Madison. I know a lot of cities are sending resolutions, but we felt it would have more impact by making personal calls and sending personal memos," Steger said. "By next week, we hope to have a better idea of what the impact will be on Waupun. And if the council wants to draft a resolution, I have no problem with that."

Waupun corrections officer and president of AFSCME Council 24 Bob McLinn told the Council wage and benefit concessions being asked of public employees would have a detrimental impact on Waupun.

"The increase in pension and insurance contributions will cause a loss of $3.2 million in discretionary income from prison workers that could be spent in your community that will no longer be there," McLinn said. "What the governor is doing is going to affect everyone in this room. And I think Waupun is going to be hit harder with lost shared revenue."

Clark said state shared revenue may be calculated by a formula taking population and equalized property valuation into consideration.

"That way, communities like Waupun wouldn't be hit as hard as communities with higher property values; so maybe there's a little relief there," Clark said.

Although Waupun has been fiscally responsible, former Waupun alderman and corrections officer Tom Hodge said the city would suffer from lost state shared revenue due to the governor's budget proposal.

"(Walker) wants to destroy local governments like ours," Hodge said. "Why destroy a government that knows how to balance a budget without any interference from outside special interest groups, has little or no tax increase year after year, and is able to maintain services without laying people off?"

###