MONROE - The Green County Board of Supervisors sent a proposal to change the official county newspaper to the Monroe Times back to committee Tuesday while requesting an official bid process.
Currently, the official paper is the Brodhead Independent-Register. The proposal would mean the majority of the county's public notices would be published in the Times, rather than the Independent.
Matt Johnson, publisher of the Monroe Times, approached County Clerk Mike Doyle about making the Times the official newspaper in August. Doyle said he referred Johnson to the county Finance and Accounting Committee, which discussed and approved the proposal at its Feb. 6 meeting. Johnson spoke at the committee meeting as well as Tuesday's county board meeting.
Before the committee met, Doyle said he compared how much the county paid the Brodhead paper to publish the October board minutes with a price quote for the same minutes from the Monroe paper. The Times quote was cheaper.
Supervisor Harvey Kubly recalled the county originally switched from the Times to the Independent-Register to save money. When Kubly asked what changed, Doyle said it's probably been more than 20 years since then.
"At that time, the same thing was done," Doyle said. "We took two documents and compared them side-by-side, and at that time the Brodhead paper was less money."
Aside from cost, Board Chair Art Carter noted the committee thought the Times would reach more Green County citizens than the Independent. Supervisor Beth Luchsinger said she wouldn't read a Brodhead paper because she lives in New Glarus.
"We need to think about our constituents," and where they would look for legal notices, she said.
Supervisor Paul Beach suggested using a free publication, such as the Monroe Shopping News - also published by Johnson - because it would have a wider circulation. However, current state law requires a government body's legal notices be published in a newspaper which has at least half of its overall circulation paid for, said Green County Corporation Counsel Brian Bucholtz.
In recent years, state legislators have repeatedly proposed to change the state law, including a push last year to end the requirement and allow public notices to be posted only on government websites. Proponents say the change would save the government money, while opponents argue it would make government less transparent because fewer citizens would see public notices.
Independent-Register Editor Ryan Broege, who was present to cover the board meeting, requested to address the board on behalf of the Brodhead publisher. He asked members to wait to make the change until a formal bidding process to compare rates for multiple types of notices could be completed. Broege said his paper reaches 6,000 Green County residents per week, but he didn't know its paid circulation.
Johnson said the Monroe Times has a paid circulation of 3,100 per day, or 18,600 per week. He told the board most counties choose the newspaper located in the county seat to be the official paper, even if another paper within the county has a larger circulation.
The daily Times would offer more flexibility than the weekly Independent-Register, Doyle said. Board members also considered the difference between the two papers' subscription costs.
The board voted 16-11 to bounce the proposal back to the finance committee.
Currently, the official paper is the Brodhead Independent-Register. The proposal would mean the majority of the county's public notices would be published in the Times, rather than the Independent.
Matt Johnson, publisher of the Monroe Times, approached County Clerk Mike Doyle about making the Times the official newspaper in August. Doyle said he referred Johnson to the county Finance and Accounting Committee, which discussed and approved the proposal at its Feb. 6 meeting. Johnson spoke at the committee meeting as well as Tuesday's county board meeting.
Before the committee met, Doyle said he compared how much the county paid the Brodhead paper to publish the October board minutes with a price quote for the same minutes from the Monroe paper. The Times quote was cheaper.
Supervisor Harvey Kubly recalled the county originally switched from the Times to the Independent-Register to save money. When Kubly asked what changed, Doyle said it's probably been more than 20 years since then.
"At that time, the same thing was done," Doyle said. "We took two documents and compared them side-by-side, and at that time the Brodhead paper was less money."
Aside from cost, Board Chair Art Carter noted the committee thought the Times would reach more Green County citizens than the Independent. Supervisor Beth Luchsinger said she wouldn't read a Brodhead paper because she lives in New Glarus.
"We need to think about our constituents," and where they would look for legal notices, she said.
Supervisor Paul Beach suggested using a free publication, such as the Monroe Shopping News - also published by Johnson - because it would have a wider circulation. However, current state law requires a government body's legal notices be published in a newspaper which has at least half of its overall circulation paid for, said Green County Corporation Counsel Brian Bucholtz.
In recent years, state legislators have repeatedly proposed to change the state law, including a push last year to end the requirement and allow public notices to be posted only on government websites. Proponents say the change would save the government money, while opponents argue it would make government less transparent because fewer citizens would see public notices.
Independent-Register Editor Ryan Broege, who was present to cover the board meeting, requested to address the board on behalf of the Brodhead publisher. He asked members to wait to make the change until a formal bidding process to compare rates for multiple types of notices could be completed. Broege said his paper reaches 6,000 Green County residents per week, but he didn't know its paid circulation.
Johnson said the Monroe Times has a paid circulation of 3,100 per day, or 18,600 per week. He told the board most counties choose the newspaper located in the county seat to be the official paper, even if another paper within the county has a larger circulation.
The daily Times would offer more flexibility than the weekly Independent-Register, Doyle said. Board members also considered the difference between the two papers' subscription costs.
The board voted 16-11 to bounce the proposal back to the finance committee.