Walker's Budget Bill Could Affect Level of Fire Protection, Chief Says

The head of the is worried the department may not be able to maintain the same quality of service that residents are used to, if Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill become law.

"I am concerned that the zero percent tax levy limit will challenge local governments in general - but specifically public safety agencies - to continue to provide the level of service that the customers we serve have become accustomed to," Chief Robert Whitaker said.

Walker said he would cut about $96 million in shared revenue to local governments, plus another 10 percent cut in state transportation aids.

The budget also would put a freeze on county and municipal levy increases, so municipalities couldn't just raise taxes to offset the loss of state aid. While costs will continue to go up for things like fuel and heating, villages, for example, will not be able to increase their levies past a certain point.

"With a limited ability to adjust personnel costs without making service level changes, any cuts in local government aid, coupled with the tax levy limit in the governor’s budget, will likely prove to be a significant challenge for public safety agencies unless they are willing to look at new ways of doing business, such as consolidation of services,” Whitaker said.

And the North Shore is well known for those consolidated services.

"The village has already consolidated its fire services with the six other North Shore communities; shares a library with River Hills, Fox Point and Glendale; a health department with Brown Deer, River Hills, Fox Point and Glendale;  provides municipal court services for River Hills on a contractual basis; and operates a dispatch center with Fox Point and River Hills," Village Manager Andy Pederson said.

Both Pederson and Whitaker are disappointed that Walker didn't include any provisions in the budget to reward communities that have already moved to consolidated efforts.

"The North Shore communities have been a regional leader in consolidation of municipal services to control costs while maintaining or improving service levels," Whitaker said. "These cuts impact the North Shore communities as much as they do those that haven’t taken a progressive step towards consolidation of services as a means to control costs.

"I was disappointed that the proposed budget does not recognize communities - like the seven communities we serve - for being progressive and already consolidating local municipal services as a means to control costs as opposed to other means to create cost reductions," Whitaker added. "While this budget may entice other communities to consolidate to control costs, it does not recognize those that have already done so."

The budget would also eliminate financial assistance for local government recycling programs, like the one in Bayside.

In 2010, Bayside collected 30 percent more than the previous year, totaling 550 tons of recyclables. Pederson explained in a  that throwing garbage in a landfill is much more costly than recycling,  and overall recycling can keep property taxes lower. Pederson said that the budget cuts would decrease the money they save from recycling.

"The proposed 10 percent reduction in state transportation aids would amount to approximately $37,000; and the proposed elimination of recycling aids would result in approximately $40,000 in less revenue for the program," Pederson said. "These cuts, combined with the proposed levy limits, will provide significant challenges and opportunities in the 2012 budget."