County executive thumbs nose at county board, alternative budget

In what some might consider an act of defiance, Winnebago County executive Mark Harris, still in his first term, has publicly said that he is submitting one budget, and one budget only, to the county board this year for the 2007 fiscal year. That budget, he says, will include a half percent sales tax and if the county board doesn’t like it, supervisors will have to find areas in which to cut.

The cuts are nothing to sneeze at either. The board would have to cut $700,000 from the budget to bring it below state-set tax levy limits, but more than $3 million in additional cuts if it wants to hold the equalized property tax rate steady at $5.59 per $1,000 of equalized property value.

Frankly this seems to be Mr. Harris saying “You’ll either pass a budget with my sales tax and like it or you’ll be forced to do the work yourselves because I’m just not going to do it.” Is that what he was elected to do: shove his job responsibilities off on the county board? The board supervisors may be elected like he is, and certainly they should be trying to find ways to pass a fiscally responsible budget, but these are part-time jobs for board supervisors. Harris is commanding a very respectable salary and benefits for running the county. Did he not put together two different budget scenarios last year – one with the additional sales tax and the other without it? Whether the necessary cuts can be found or not this seems like Harris flexing his muscle instead of thinking of his constituents. We have a right to expect more from him.

The Oshkosh Northwestern Editorial Board and executive editor Stew Rieckman think so too.

Mark Harris will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Eye on Oshkosh. If you have questions for him – whether about the budget, the sales tax, or any other county issues - please send them to us in the next few weeks by clicking here.