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,
We are in the thick of the annual county budget process, navigating a $31 million structural deficit. Over the next week, there will be major decisions about programs and services, including opportunities for public input. Thank you to all the district 11 residents who have already reached out with input about various budget amendments and priorities.
At this point in the process, Committees have been discussing and voting on amendments to the budget proposed by County Exec. Agard, then will deliberate on the budget next week. There will be a public hearing on the budget on 11/3, our last of several, then the full County Board will start voting (and perhaps finish, depending on how many unresolved issues there are) on 11/5. I encourage you to join and share your input.
County Executive Agard sought to address one component of our budget shortfall by increasing county employee cost sharing in health insurance. However, there were concerns about the process and the recommendation, which was ultimately rejected by the Board. I believe that was the right choice but also am strongly encouraging a collaborative process to revisit that in early 2026 because without any employee cost-sharing, I am confident that layoffs will be necessary for 2027, unfortunately.
County Executive Agard proposed a fair budget under the constraints we face, but did not address several essential community needs. County staff will all be required to take a 1% wage reduction/furlough, and a hiring freeze is now in place through 2026 as a manner to build our reservices and limit expenses. All departments, with notable exceptions, will reduce budgets by 4% through right-sizing programs/contracts and eliminating positions – some of which are long-term vacancies and others which are newer. I am comfortable with the majority of these proposals in light of the deficit but we will need much more creative systems-level improvements to get through future budgets if revenue forecasts do not change.
For the 2026 budget, the major questions we are contending with include:
Other items we are actively debating include staffing for a Parks position managing the volunteer program, conservation funding, Immigration Affairs support, and staffing for the Regional Housing Strategy. My general approach throughout the budget process has been and will continue to be seeking consensus solutions wherever possible, relying on data to make decisions, and listening to all stakeholder input, while recognizing the reality that there will be serious staffing and program gaps and there is no win-win solution for 2026. Thank you for the engagement and input, it’s more important than ever we are intentional and creative in our decisions.
More background on the budget:
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.
One of the frequent issues that comes up is why is the county doing so much building (like the jail project or purchasing land) when we have an operational deficit. In short, those dollars between capital and operating are separate and can’t be comingled. We have a cap on our operating dollars but not on the capital. Even borrowing on the capital is separate from our operations levy limit, so reducing our capital expenses won’t help resolve the deficit. I’ve attached a slide deck that shares the data we’re working with relative to costs, expenses, and budgeting. Please let me know if you have questions.
Other County News (including a few reasons to celebrate!):
This fall, as you hold neighborhood gatherings or community meetings, I am available and excited to join you and share more news about county programs/services and the results of our annual budget and implications for district residents.
In service,
Richelle Andrae
Dane County Board Supervisor District 11
