Neighbors,

With spring elections in the rearview mirror, thank you, once again, neighbors and residents of district 11 for entrusting me to represent our area on the County Board. I look forward to the privilege of serving you for another 2 years. I was recently voted by my peers to serve as Second Vice Chair of the County Board, and as Vice Chair of the Personnel & Finance Committee, which is our budget-writing Committee.

Also, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Positive mental health looks different for everyone and what you, I, our kids, parents, friends, or colleagues may need today can change in a moment with new inputs, experiences, or understanding. We are all evolving constantly, and many in our community are struggling to find the resources that will help. I encourage you to review and use county behavioral health resources, including the Behavioral Health Resource Center https://danebhrc.org/ and Behavioral Health programs: https://danecountyhumanservices.org/Behavioral-Health.

Today I’m sharing updates on:

• Updated budget outlook
• Youth Governance Program Now Accepting Applications
• Exciting Yahara land purchase
• Automatic License Plate Readers and Public Safety
• Ridglan Farms

County Budget Outlook – Update!

In February, county fiscal staff projected a 2027 operating budget deficit of $31.8 million. As a reminder, total budgeted county expenditures for 2026 are $825.6 million for operations, financed by $444.9 million of program and outside revenues (e.g., Medicaid funds), $90.7 million of county sales taxes, $272.1 million of county property tax levy funds, and $18.0 million in fund balance. The separate Capital Budget includes $90.5 million for capital spending in 2026, which is financed by $90.5 million of borrowing proceeds, outside revenues and retained earnings. Capital funds are not restricted by levy limits in the same way operational funding is, though we must still be intentional and thoughtful about every dollar spent.

One of the key contributors to that estimated 2027 deficit is the amount of surplus available at the end of Fiscal Year 2026 that can be applied to the operating budget for Fiscal Year 2027. That surplus is basically funds that were allocated but unspent for a variety of reasons.

As part of the county’s normal fiscal processes, we have closed the books on financial activity for Fiscal Year 2025. Based on the results for Fiscal Year 2025, it appears that there will be additional surplus resources that can be applied to the operating budget for Fiscal Year 2027 which is good news for the immediate future. This additional surplus emerged from a variety of sources within county operations and across many different departments. The impact of the additional resources is a revised estimate of the budget deficit from $31.8 million to approximately $15.0 million (or about 2% of operating). While this is movement in the right direction, a gap of $15 million still presents a significant internal budget challenge, and external instability may still exacerbate that challenge. $15 million is similar to the deficit in 2026, but we addressed that through a lot of short-term band-aids like a temporary hiring freeze, mandatory wage reductions, etc. It would be difficult to double-down on those further to create new savings in 2027.

We will continue to monitor fiscal operations as the year progresses and now that I serve on the finance committee, understanding these moving factors, inputs, trends, and how to address them responsibly will be one of my tip top priorities.

Dane County Youth Governance Program Now Accepting Applications

The Dane County Youth Governance Program (YGP) is now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 cohort. Applications are open from Monday, May 11, 2026, through Friday, June 26, 2026. I’ve had the privilege to mentor some truly inspirational youth through the program who have contributed so much to Dane County. Please help spread the word! 

Established in 2012, the YGP offers high school students a meaningful opportunity to engage directly in county government decision-making, bring a youth perspective to local issues, and develop the skills needed to become the next generation of community leaders. Throughout the nine-month program, participants serve alongside elected county board supervisors on standing committees, with the same opportunities for participation as supervisors, with the distinction that their vote is advisory and non-binding. Each participant is paired with a county board supervisor who serves as their mentor, providing one-on-one guidance throughout the year. Participants also meet regularly as a cohort to develop a group project presented to the full county board at the end of the program term.

Who can apply: Students currently in grades 9–11 (entering grades 10–12 in the fall) who can commit to:

• Attending at least 75% of in-person and virtual YGP meetings
• Six to eight hours of YGP work per month from September through May

Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the county board's standing committees and watch a committee meeting and a board meeting online before applying to get a sense of the work involved. Visit the Dane County Youth Governance Program website at https://dane.extension.wisc.edu/to-apply/ for additional program details, expectations, and the application form.

Yahara River Land Purchase Proposed

The county is considering the purchase of approximately 165 acres in the Town of Dunn from the Herro family with the intent of donating the land to the Ho-Chunk Nation, which will also be a partnership with Groundswell Conservancy, and is a very large capital project. Located south of Babcock County Park, the land is separated by STH 51, with 121.45 15 acres on the east and 43.7 acres on the west side of the highway. The east parcel has 16 approximately 2,500 feet of Yahara River frontage along with approximately 2,700 feet of frontage on Lower Mud Lake (one of my favorite pristine paddling spots!). A corner of the western parcel has approximately 251 feet of frontage on Lake Waubesa Both parcels have a mix of woods, wetlands and tillable lands which are either cropped or enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.

This area along the Yahara River is known to have had a substantial Ho-Chunk presence and this property contains six recorded significant archeological sites including rare mound groupings that should be protected through public ownership. Donation of this property would allow the Ho-Chunk Nation to own and preserve these culturally significant lands, protect and restore these archeological sites and offer educational and recreational opportunities to the public. Before the donation to the Ho-Chunk Nation occurs, the County shall encumber the property with a conservation easement which will prohibit development, impose certain use restrictions, ensure public use and establish the County’s enforcement rights in perpetuity. Groundswell Conservancy, Inc., a local land trust, will co-hold the conservation easement with the County, providing an additional layer of oversight and protection. See RES-435 for all the details. I’m excited about this potential new partnership and the benefits for both cultural preservation and public appreciation of our incredible local resources.

Flock Cameras in Dane County

You may be tracking concerns about use of Flock cameras across the country, and in Dane County specifically. These are cameras used by local law enforcement agencies to identify vehicles (or in other jurisdictions, people) related to investigations, crimes, or alert. In April, the County Board voted to end its contract with Flock which will be effective this summer, which I was happy to support. Flock has lost all credibility and there are multiple reports about poor data sharing practices and access by federal law enforcement for immigration-related purposes. However, there are many important and legitimate law enforcement uses for license plate readers (such as finding missing persons), and I welcome a contract with a different vendor for a similar service in the future. For that reason, I am working on a resolution to reinstate funding for an alternative system that would have stronger data sharing/access safeguards, improved public accountability and transparency requirements, and meet legitimate law enforcement purposes for community protection.

Here are a few examples from Dane County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) of how the system has recently helped with legitimate law enforcement efforts:

Since 2023, there have been at least 14 missing person-related cases in which we used license plate readers for investigative purposes. These included four Silver Alerts; 12 missing or endangered person cases, one involving a juvenile; and two other missing person cases. Only two of these cases remain unresolved; the other 12 individuals were located.

In a stolen vehicle case, the City of Verona had a Public Works truck stolen, and cameras helped track the vehicle to the Waukesha/Milwaukee area. Investigators were still able to identify it in the system after the city decal had been removed and the license plate had been swapped, based on the vehicle description and identifying toolboxes. The truck was eventually recovered in the Waukesha/Milwaukee area.

In March 2026, we assisted the Wisconsin State Patrol in identifying a vehicle involved in a road rage incident that resulted in a fatal crash. A search of our ALPR system using vehicle descriptors and license plate Information, limited to a 10-minute timeframe on the date of the incident and a specific state highway, helped investigators identify and locate the suspect driver. The driver was later contacted, admitted to the behavior, and was subsequently arrested.

Ridglan Farms

Ridglan Farms is a facility in rural western Dane County that has recently garnered significant local and even international attention as a beagle breeding and research facility. In April, activists and law enforcement clashed at the site during a protest and the County Board has been fielding requests to “free the beagles” and launch an investigation into excessive force and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. The County is also now involved in a lawsuit regarding the actions at Ridglan Farms. I spoke with a constituent who was at the site during the protest and shared very compelling information that warrants alarm and definitely have questions and concerns about the use of force (including deployment of tear gas and rubber bullets) on activists. Now that there’s litigation, it will be especially challenging to bring information about the day’s events to light, unfortunately.

It’s also important for the public to understand a few considerations which may seem very unsatisfactory from an animal rights/protection perspective:

• The Dane County Board has no authority to launch an investigation into the Sheriff’s Office and compel their involvement. The Sheriff’s Office, unlike for example Madison Policy, has its own unique authorities and freedoms outlined in the Wisconsin Constitution and the Sheriff is a constitutional officer who is elected, not appointed.
• We can use our budget authority on spending issues, but also do not have authority to regulate if or when the Sheriff’s Office deploys “less-lethal” weapons.
• Throughout last fall, the County Board had extensive conversations with legal counsel about our authority and responsibilities when called on to regulate or close the facility. The state agency DATCP has the oversight responsibility of Ridglan Farms. Activists disagree with this interpretation of legal authority.
• I am a proud rescue pet mom and have every desire to see animals treated with respect and in safe conditions. At the same time, I cannot advocate for breaking the law relative to taking the animals, even if the entire justice system on animal rights is broken. I can’t pick which laws to support and which I don’t like based on my own individual principles so cannot condone breaking into the facility (which occurred earlier in the year). What I can say though is that everyone has rights and protections for peaceful protest, which is a democratic principle I hold extremely dear, and should not have to fear for their safety or health when expressing their beliefs in accordance with all local, state, or federal laws.

To me, there’s an incompatibility for sure between legal and ethical issues here which I find very challenging. I know that residents want answers and accountability and I continue to be committed to figuring out how the County Board can shed daylight on everything that occurred at Ridglan Farms on April 18. Read more from WPR: https://www.wpr.org/news/animal-rights-activists-sue-ridglan-farms-dane-county.

As always, please reach out if you have questions or input on county issues. In service and in this together,

Richelle Andrae

Dane County Board Supervisor District 11

Andrae.richelle@countyofdane.com

There's our new group for the next term, through April 2028!