MONROE - Green County residents will decided Oct. 6 if they want to pay extra taxes to help fund the Pleasant View Nursing Home.
The Green County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, by a vote of 23-3, approved a referendum that will ask taxpayers to allow the county to exceed the levy limit by $890,000 over the next five years to fill a gap in funding for the nursing home.
Included in the referendum question was permission for the county to spend $20,000 from the general fund to pay for the election. No elections were scheduled for the rest of the year, so no extra money was budgeted.
Board members Craig Foreback, Sherri Fiduccia and Russ Torkelson voted against having the referendum.
The board discussed the referendum question for about an hour and half, with supporters explaining the referendum allows to the county to exceed the levy up to $890,000 but doesn't require the county to exceed the levy by that amount if the board decides it doesn't need that much money.
"I'm a taxpayer like everyone else, and I don't look forward to my taxes going up," board chairman Art Carter said.
Board member Herb Hanson, who also serves on the county's Pleasant View Nursing Home Committee, said the county doesn't plan to close the nursing home next year regardless of how people vote in October.
Even if the county closed the nursing home in the future, he said, there still would be costs to take care of at least 15 residents who were ordered by the court to be under the county's care. The cost to send them to homes outside the county, such as Mendota in Madison, would cost the county more than $1.7 million. The cost would be paid by Green County Human Services.
"We would transfer red ink from Pleasant View to human services," Hanson said.
Hanson said the nursing home has started to look at ways to cut expenses as well as increase revenue, but it will take time for any changes to benefit the nursing home's budget.
"There's a strong case we can (reduce cost and increase revenue)," he said.
Hanson said it doesn't matter to him if his support of the referendum costs him an election.
"I'm standing up for something I believe in," he said.
The referendum will cost the owner of a home valued at $150,000 about $50 a year each of the next five years and it will cost the owner of a home valued at $300,000 about $100 a year.
Green County Finance Director Rhonda Hunter said the county has borrowed from the undesignated general fund in the past to pay for any deficits in the nursing home budget. There's about $1.1 million in the county's undesignated general fund and that money is needed in the event of an emergency and to keep the county's credit rating high. The board shouldn't reduce the fund to almost nothing, she explained.
Board member Harvey Mandel said he hopes the nursing home's finances can be turned around after three years.
"If in three years we only have to have $300,000 for the nursing home, then that's all we would ask for," he said.
Mandel said the financial problem came about because the state used money that was supposed to go for nursing homes for other programs.
"I don't know why the state didn't give it to the people it was intended for," he said. "If the state didn't have the money that would be one thing, but this is money they should have given to the county."
In 2008 the nursing home had a deficit of about $900,000. This year it's estimated the nursing home will have a deficit of about $1.2 million. The county was to receive about $650,000 from the state for the Pleasant View budget. However, the state Legislature decided to keep some of the federal money ordinarily sent to the nursing home to help cover its Medicaid Trust Fund deficits.
Fiduccia motioned to table the referendum question for six months to allow the board to look at Pleasant View's budget and to develop a financial plan for the nursing home. The motion failed by a 15-9 vote.
Fiduccia said the people in her district elected her to be their voice and they've indicated they are against a referendum.
Foreback and Torkelson said they voted against the referendum because of the economy.
"I don't think this is the time to ask taxpayers for more money," he said. "At what point do we stop asking for more money?"
The county's estimated tax levy for 2010 will be $12,005,340. If voters approve the referendum, the total will be $12,895,340, an increase in the tax levy of about 7.5 percent.
Board members Randy Iverson, Lloyd Lueschow, Gary Davis, Steve Stettler and Al Benzschawel were absent Tuesday.
The Green County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, by a vote of 23-3, approved a referendum that will ask taxpayers to allow the county to exceed the levy limit by $890,000 over the next five years to fill a gap in funding for the nursing home.
Included in the referendum question was permission for the county to spend $20,000 from the general fund to pay for the election. No elections were scheduled for the rest of the year, so no extra money was budgeted.
Board members Craig Foreback, Sherri Fiduccia and Russ Torkelson voted against having the referendum.
The board discussed the referendum question for about an hour and half, with supporters explaining the referendum allows to the county to exceed the levy up to $890,000 but doesn't require the county to exceed the levy by that amount if the board decides it doesn't need that much money.
"I'm a taxpayer like everyone else, and I don't look forward to my taxes going up," board chairman Art Carter said.
Board member Herb Hanson, who also serves on the county's Pleasant View Nursing Home Committee, said the county doesn't plan to close the nursing home next year regardless of how people vote in October.
Even if the county closed the nursing home in the future, he said, there still would be costs to take care of at least 15 residents who were ordered by the court to be under the county's care. The cost to send them to homes outside the county, such as Mendota in Madison, would cost the county more than $1.7 million. The cost would be paid by Green County Human Services.
"We would transfer red ink from Pleasant View to human services," Hanson said.
Hanson said the nursing home has started to look at ways to cut expenses as well as increase revenue, but it will take time for any changes to benefit the nursing home's budget.
"There's a strong case we can (reduce cost and increase revenue)," he said.
Hanson said it doesn't matter to him if his support of the referendum costs him an election.
"I'm standing up for something I believe in," he said.
The referendum will cost the owner of a home valued at $150,000 about $50 a year each of the next five years and it will cost the owner of a home valued at $300,000 about $100 a year.
Green County Finance Director Rhonda Hunter said the county has borrowed from the undesignated general fund in the past to pay for any deficits in the nursing home budget. There's about $1.1 million in the county's undesignated general fund and that money is needed in the event of an emergency and to keep the county's credit rating high. The board shouldn't reduce the fund to almost nothing, she explained.
Board member Harvey Mandel said he hopes the nursing home's finances can be turned around after three years.
"If in three years we only have to have $300,000 for the nursing home, then that's all we would ask for," he said.
Mandel said the financial problem came about because the state used money that was supposed to go for nursing homes for other programs.
"I don't know why the state didn't give it to the people it was intended for," he said. "If the state didn't have the money that would be one thing, but this is money they should have given to the county."
In 2008 the nursing home had a deficit of about $900,000. This year it's estimated the nursing home will have a deficit of about $1.2 million. The county was to receive about $650,000 from the state for the Pleasant View budget. However, the state Legislature decided to keep some of the federal money ordinarily sent to the nursing home to help cover its Medicaid Trust Fund deficits.
Fiduccia motioned to table the referendum question for six months to allow the board to look at Pleasant View's budget and to develop a financial plan for the nursing home. The motion failed by a 15-9 vote.
Fiduccia said the people in her district elected her to be their voice and they've indicated they are against a referendum.
Foreback and Torkelson said they voted against the referendum because of the economy.
"I don't think this is the time to ask taxpayers for more money," he said. "At what point do we stop asking for more money?"
The county's estimated tax levy for 2010 will be $12,005,340. If voters approve the referendum, the total will be $12,895,340, an increase in the tax levy of about 7.5 percent.
Board members Randy Iverson, Lloyd Lueschow, Gary Davis, Steve Stettler and Al Benzschawel were absent Tuesday.