A Message from County Executive Joe Parisi:
The Covid-19 global pandemic has brought immeasurable grief to families, paralyzed communities, and its legacy will be marked by varying degrees of loss for all of us. Our county has not been immune to this sadness and loss. That said, from the outset of this pandemic Dane County was better prepared than many of our counterparts. That’s because we didn’t wait for a pandemic to invest in people and the very special places that give this community its identity and exemplify our character. Because we have built upon our legacy year after year with innovative efforts to support mental health in our schools and community, protected hundreds of new acres each year for families to recreate, and meet families where they are at with critical supports, we were better prepared to face the full throes of the global catastrophe that’s engulfed our state and nation.
Our shared sense of community and willingness to do whatever it takes to help one another is prevailing as we navigate this unrivaled time. Through it all, we have never forgotten or lost sense of who we are. Together, we are the foundation with the resiliency and strength to help this community persevere through these times.
My 2021 budget will work to address the impact of COVID-19 on our community, while continuing to prioritize human services, equity, renewable energy, conservation, and more.
Dane County Executive
My budget offsets short-term losses from the impact of COVID-19 through use of Dane County’s rainy day fund. These reserve fund dollars will sustain county government services largely as the community knows them for 2021.
This budget buffers both the services Dane County provides and the staff who provide them from the greatest financial losses county government has experienced since the national Great Recession nearly a decade ago. Unlike then, this budget has no across the board wage reductions or furloughs.
The 2021 operating budget totals $615,541,049. The capital budget is $71,649,300. The budget includes a levy increase of 4.09%, increasing taxes on the average home by $30.18.
