richelle andrae
Thank you for the opportunity to serve District 11, which includes most of Hill Farms, Shorewood Village, and the neighborhoods immediately east of Midvale Blvd. I’ve lived in Madison since 2013, and reside just west of Hilldale. I’ve experienced our community through the eyes of a student, a young professional working in non-profit, an academic, and a volunteer. During the day, I am an advocate for safety net clinics in Wisconsin, working with state policymakers and partners to ensure that all residents have access to quality health care, regardless of income or insurance status. I’ve previously worked on local public health evaluation projects, rural workforce development, and Medicaid policy. After serving an AmeriCorps service term in California, I returned to Wisconsin and worked directly with underserved teens in Madison high schools, helping them find and keep their first jobs.
On the County Board, I Chair the Public Protection & Judiciary Committee, which has oversight for the Dane County Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office, Emergency Management, 911 Call Center, Courts, Pre-Trial Services, Medical Examiner, and more. A few of my "success stories" on the Board include navigating the complex jail consolidation project, improving constituent outreach by encouraging implementation of a blog system for Supervisors, and budget amendments to embed crisis expertise in emergency response and improve the pay structure for staff attorneys to support the timely service of justice. I also serve on the Dane County Food Policy Council and Greater Madison MPO, which administers transportation-related funding and programs across the region.
When I’m not at work or engaged in Board activities, you can find me at the Odana dog park with my rescue pup, Roux. I studied Spanish at UW-Madison during my undergrad, and earned a Masters in Public Affairs from the La Follette School, focusing on health policy and administration. Please reach out at any time and I look forward to working with you.　
Neighbors,
I’m going to focus this post on just 2 items: a new list from the federal administration on local ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ and the 2026 county budget.
About a week ago, the Trump Administration released a list of states and local governments that they allegedly consider immigration enforcement ‘sanctuaries’ – and which the Administration wants to punish by removing federal funding. That funding isn’t just related to immigration issues, but anything else (the mechanism for how any of that would happen is unknown). That all stems from an executive order issued by the President earlier this year directing creation of the list and future funding cuts. Dane County, along with several entire states and hundreds of local jurisdictions, was on that list, along with Milwaukee county and somewhat inexplicably Shawano county (which passed a second amendment sanctuary resolution and maybe that was misinterpreted? Who knows). The list was taken down after a few days (no official reason was given for removing the list) – but there was a lot of pushback about how the list was developed (what were the inclusion criteria???), and also pushback from law enforcement that such a list actually makes lawful enforcement more challenging. I completely agree with Exec. Agard’s statement, and that this whole thing basically an unlawful abomination. I also want to reiterate how proud I am that the County has an Office of Immigration Affairs, recognizes the contributions of immigrants (documented and otherwise) in our community, and is welcoming to people from all different backgrounds who make Dane County vibrant and diverse. I’m not sure what will happen next now that the list has been removed, but it’s a developing issue and I would ask my neighbors, as I have witnessed, to be especially warm to immigrants right now when there is a great deal of uncertainty and fear. If the list returns, and if federal funding is subsequently denied or curtailed, we will certainly be litigating to protect the tax dollars and programs that Dane County residents have invested and deserve to see implemented.
Unrelated to the sanctuary list, I have hard news regarding the 2026 county budget. Even without potential federal funding reductions, the county will face a significant cost-to-continue shortfall for the next year, estimated at $31 million. For reference, the 2025 budget authorizes total expenditures of $813.7 million for operations, which are financed by $415.6 million of program and outside revenues, $87.2 million of county sales taxes, $260.5 million of county property tax levy funds, and $50.4 million in fund balance. The separate Capital Budget includes $112.5 million for capital spending in 2025; you can see all the details from the current budget here. Over one-third of the county budget depends on intergovernmental revenue (such as Medicaid $ from the feds to the state) and those are largely not flexible dollars – just passthrough. The operational shortfall is primarily driven by the combination of increasing health insurance costs for the 2000+ county employees, slowing sales tax growth, inflation, and state-set levy limits. As Chair of the Committee with the second-largest share of county expenditures after human services, I take this extremely seriously and know we need to be thoughtful and creative as we assess pros and cons for 2026.
I’ve had the privilege of representing district 11 for 5 years now and haven’t faced a budget challenge like this yet. County Executive Agard took the first step in mitigation by requesting that departments develop 4% budget reduction proposals – and this will impact every agency from the zoo, to parks, human services, and law enforcement. Throughout the summer, departments will develop budget proposals, then public hearings will be held in September, and the budget should be finalized in November. You can stay apprised of budget deliberations, check meeting schedules, and find out how to provide feedback at https://board.danecounty.gov/budget. We will face the upcoming decisions considering tradeoffs thoughtfully, exercising resilience, and I know that while choices will be hard, we will construct a budget that continues to deliver high-quality public services and be responsible stewards.
In the next few weeks, I will be sharing more details about the budget issue, including opportunities for input and also the details about the shortfall. There is very little interest that I am aware of, at this point, in pursuing a referendum and I believe the immediate next steps should be “belt-tightening” wherever possible and getting creative about administering programs efficiently, mindful of the high cost of living in Dane County and looking for systems-level, sustainable solutions. We may need to revisit community approval for spending in the future but I do not see that as on the table in the immediate future (not for the 2026 budget, at least). The menu of options for the 2026 budget at this point is very broad – from hiring freezes to contract amendments with partners to revisiting benefits, and we are only beginning to look at options. There have been some mitigation strategies already in place, but we will need to get very serious about program outcomes, services, and staffing, at a minimum.
This situation is complicated by federal uncertainty from reductions in SNAP and Medicaid benefits to the potential for large grants to be frozen, which may result in litigation. The County Board recently authorized the county’s attorneys, Corporation Counsel, to respond quickly with legal action and to initiate or participate in legal action on behalf of Dane County to safeguard the interests of the County.
Thank you for your engagement, in advance for your questions (send them along so I can work on FAQs!), and I look forward to keeping you apprised as we embark on the challenging conversations ahead. This summer, as you hold community gatherings, meetings, and events, please let me know as I would be happy to join you and share information about the county budget and what’s going on.
In service,
Richelle Andrae
Dane County Board Supervisor District 11
