the mental health crises COVID-19 is leaving in its wake. It’s a tough year for a lot of us. We’re grateful for the won- derful people who put on that uniform every day and watch over us and keep us safe in so many ways.

Our local governments have had to change the way they do businesses. The election this month alone was a testament to the hard work and dedication of people, showing that one reason they hold their job is that they really love the community and they care what happens.

Our elected officials sprang into action, showing that they can – sometimes – work together when we need them to most. They put out grant programs to keep our busi- nesses afloat.

None of us probably ever dreamt that we’d be experi- encing what we’re experiencing on a daily basis. Yet, for most of us all we’re experiencing is the inconvenience of having to wear a mask in public. And that’s because of everything being done to keep us protected and to make sure we’re safe.

For our part, we need to help be stewards of our com- munity, and by that let’s make sure we help our commu-

State may face toughest budget challenge since 2011

Next year, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and newly elected lawmakers likely will confront the state’s toughest budget challenge since 2011. To balance the next two-year state budget, the state’s main fund would need to spend down its reserves by nearly $400 million even in the unlikely event that elected officials rejected every single new spending request from state agencies. The state does have substantial reserves to lean on but also faces massive additional costs for state health programs for those in need.

This difficult budget scenario, amid elevated unemployment, slowing state tax collections, and increased demand for social services created by the ongoing pandemic, projects general fund spending to exceed revenues by $373.1 million in the two-year budget running from July 2021 to June 2023 — a difference equal to about 1% of spending over the two years. However, that shortfall could grow considerably if the governor and lawmakers provide additional funds for other programs.

For example, this bare-bones tally does not factor in the projected expense of maintaining current services within Medicaid health programs — more than $1.1 billion over the next two years — or additional spending on COVID-19 response, state aid to K-12 schools or local governments, prisons, or the University of Wisconsin System. Higher spending in at least some of these areas appears inevitable, particularly in the case of Medicaid, unless lawmakers accept a plan they have repeatedly rejected for additional federal funding and expanded coverage.

In one bright spot, the state expects to finish the current 2021 fiscal year with reserves of roughly $2 billion — much more than was expected a year ago or was available in the past two recessions. However, Evers has proposed spending $541 million on pandemic response in the coming months, which if approved would reduce that total.

For now, these are mere projections and all forecasts should be taken with great caution in this volatile time. Additional federal aid or a timely vaccine rollout might improve the state’s position specifically or the economy more broadly, while federal inaction and a spike in COVID-19 cases could cause the economy — and state budget — to deteriorate even more.

This information is provided to Wisconsin Newspaper Association members as a service of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the state’s leading resource for nonpartisan state and local government research and civic education. Learn more at wispolicyforum.org. Your local businesses need your support. Amazon doesn’t Our front line workers in health care, in schools, in public safety and in government are doing there part to

statewide.”

“This disease is getting closer,” the commenter went on, noting that they saw people “in obvious uniform, from the prison” getting dinner at lunchtime and noon from the local deli counter. “No mask,” they said. If the City wanted to stop the disease they needed to come up with some type of plan the commenter said, predicting there would be a federal mandate before the end of January.

“Right now we are following the county authority,” alderman Kevin Hendrickson said of the next level in local government, while Kent Barby motioned to continue.

“Go right ahead,” he told the frequent attendee. With the floor later being yielded to ordinary business, the next topic was the new police addition: what to do in regards to the A/C units on site, reaching the end of their service life. With each side of the combination police station-city hall controlled by its own A/C unit, the two would be replaced by one new unit when the addition was built, with the police department effectively 23. If you haven’t donated yet to the statue in Veteran’s Park but would like too, you still have an opportunity. With a link at the district homepage at stanleyboyd. k12.wi.us, The company that created the statue

THORP

for Thorp in 2021, down 1.1 percent or $3,982 in total town finances. Meanwhile, the application of a cash balance totaling $8,095 is due to bring the township out ahead from last year’s funding sources to the tune of $4,113 or $357,267 total in the budget fund balance. No cash balance was applied to the 2020 budget for a boost. Meanwhile, what comes in, trickles out, as the expenses side of the ledger shows.

CITY

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