County human services get $1 million boost
Falk proposes wage increases

By Bill Novak
September 29, 2004

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Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk is increasing the county's human services budget by $1 million for 2005, resulting in a collective huge sigh of relief from beleaguered agencies, supervisors and a group spearheading a drive for more funding.

The department's budget will now come in at about $205 million, or 51 percent of the estimated $400 million county budget to be introduced Friday by Falk.

She would not say where the additional $1 million will come from.

"You will find out Friday," she said.

A big share of the extra million will go to workers at the nearly 200 service provider agencies. There is $410,000 earmarked for wage increases, giving a 1 percent cost of living hike to workers earning just above the county's living wage, to $9.07 an hour. Workers also will get the same increase as county workers (3.5 percent) in July 2005, bringing their wages up to $9.17 an hour.

"One of the real hallmarks in this increase is the wage compensation to the providers of services, helping those on the front lines who help those most in need," said Supervisor Beth Gross, chairwoman of the County Board's Health and Human Needs Committee.

SOS-Dane spokeswoman Lisa Pugh said the $1 million increase will help fund programs that had been cut, as well as give a living wage to the service provider workers. But more work needs to be done to ensure funding for all human service programs, she added.

"She's heard our message," Pugh said about Falk. "That's a good sign that some of the services will be restored."

Human services supporters were very vocal in their criticism of cuts in programs at the public hearings this fall. Some of the harshest criticism was for cuts to vocational training for high school graduates as well as cuts to Drug Court and halfway houses. Money is in the budget to restore both areas.

"We will continue to provide services to young adults who graduate, to get job training," Falk said. "Also, in combination with Catholic Charities, we will restore $100,000 for Drug Court and halfway houses."

Funds also were restored for elder abuse services and better mileage reimbursement for the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program volunteers who deliver meals to seniors and take seniors to appointments.

County Board Supervisor John Hendrick said the increase in wages for service providers was an important element of the increase, the first he's seen in his 11 years on the board.

"The human services budget is much improved," Hendrick said. "This is a good compromise, deserving of our support."

Dane County spends more than double what any other county spends on human services, a program considered the Cadillac of human services programs in Wisconsin and throughout the United States.

"We have the best human services program in the state," Falk said. "This budget continues that high standard of serving our citizens."

Falk will unveil her 2005 county budget at a 1 p.m. news conference Friday at the City-County Building. The County Board's committees will start to review the individual departmental budgets Oct. 11, with a public hearing on the budget set for Oct. 25.

The full board will begin its budget deliberations Nov. 8 and continue until a budget is passed, most likely before Thanksgiving, Nov. 25.

E-mail: bnovak@madison.com

Published: 1:24 PM 9/29/04