Dane County Executive Joe Parisi has outlined a record-setting $834 million county budget, according to a Wisconsin State Journalreport. The budget focuses on initiatives for criminal justice reform, housing shortages, and climate change. As outlined, the new budget would raise property taxes on the average home in Madison by just over $30.
Criminal justice reform funding includes an expanded crisis response program for the sheriff’s office, a $1.3 million Crisis Triage Center, and a pilot program for a Dane County Community Court.
The budget also includes:Â
- Another $6 million toward a permanent shelter for homeless men to match the city of Madison’s $9 million contribution;
- $10 million for the Dane County Conservation Fund to acquire land and improve water quality;
- $5 million for ongoing dredging efforts on Door Creek and the Yahara chain of lakes;
- $15.6 million for road improvement projects;
- $4.5 million to develop and install “carbon capture technologies” to help meet the county’s goal of carbon neutrality; and
- $3 million to study the feasibility of an additional digester to turn cow manure into renewable energy.
