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There are a lot of important issues facing the county; it's hard to pick just two things! But first, I think we need to keep local government services affordable (meaning avoiding property tax increases whenever possible). Some of that funding can be through grant opportunities (something that many departments are already doing successfully). Another huge way that we can address funding shortfalls, especially thanks to unfunded state mandates, is by pressing the state legislature to find a better formula for shared revenue (the percentage of tax revenue that the state collects that is then sent back or "shared" with local governments. The legislative committee I serve on successfully pressed the legislature to make some changes to shared revenue this past year, but there is more to do.

There are still parts of Dunn County that are underserved or not serviced at all when it comes to high-speed internet access. This affects everything from kids being able to access school materials, telehealth services, economic development and even home values (who wants to buy a house that doesn't have high speed internet?) As chair of the newly formed Dunn County Broadband Taskforce, our committee is working with local internet service providers and county residents to determine areas in the county that need broadband access. We then identify grant opportunities through the various government programs now available to expand broadband through both the State of Wisconsin and federal government, and encourage county internet providers to expand into those unserved areas.

We really need to address the condition of the roads in Dunn County. When I first was elected to the county board, the roads were on a 75 year repair cycle (meaning that it would be 75 years before a road would be repaired or resurfaced). Most roads need to be resurfaced or replaced in 25 years or less. Since I've been on the board, we've brought down that repair cycle to under 50 years, but there is more work to do! This means finding additional funding sources and grant opportunities so that we can minimize the impact on property tax payers.

One of my top priorities every budget cycle is always being a good steward of the county's resources and advocating for tax payers by minimizing or eliminating property tax increases, yet maintaining the services that people rely on (road maintenance, sheriff's department, health and human services, and more). My approach will be the same this budget cycle! My door is always open to residents of District 6 and all of Dunn County when it comes to concerns they might have regarding the budget or county services.