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 –
Happy Fall, y’all! It’s budget season on the County Board so I’m happy to share information on that process, and a few other efforts. A few updates in this email:
As always, please reach out if you’d like to connect on an issue or share ideas. Thank you,
Richelle Andrae
Dane County Board Supervisor District 11
Andrae.richelle@countyofdane.com
Board Action
Each fall, the County Board approves an operating and capital budget for the next year. The budget is our most important tool to demonstrate our shared values and priorities, and “put our money where our mouth is.” In 2022, the Operating Budget is $660.7 million and the Capital Budget is $94.2 million. The tax rate in 2022 is $2.89 for every $1,000 of value, so a home valued at $300,000 paid $867.00 in county property taxes. However, note that most of our budget revenue is from intergovernmental revenue lines, such as state and federal programs.
Here's a great 3-minute budget overview video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuRSQVyLPn8.
Budget FAQ:
The process begins in May, when the County Executive (Joe Parisi) distributes budget guidelines to departments. In the following months, departments submit their budget requests which are reviewed by the Department of Administration and the County Executive. In September, the County Executive proposes the budget, which will often include new big initiatives. The Operating and Capital Budget Resolutions are introduced in October.
In October and early November, County Board committees review and amend the County Executive's proposed budget. We can add or subtract items. Committees make recommendations to the Personnel and Finance Committee. The Personnel and Finance Committee makes recommendation on the operating and capital budget resolutions to the full County Board. In Mid-November the County Board adopts the operating and capital budget resolutions and sets the tax levy. The County Executive signs the budget resolutions or vetoes specific items. If necessary, the County Board considers veto overrides. We will wrap up the whole process by the end of November. This will include dozens of public hearings, many amendments, and lots of opportunities for public input.
The operating budget funds expenses like staff, contractual costs, and ongoing activities in departments. It is funded from a wide variety of sources such as intergovernmental revenues, grants, fees, property taxes, vehicle registration fees, and sales tax. The capital budget funds one-time projects. Some examples include the Conservation Fund, building remodeling, highway construction, and major technology upgrades. It is primarily funded with the proceeds of bonds and notes issued by the County.
An overview of our current budget (2022) is available here: https://admin.countyofdane.com/documents/pdf/Budgets/2022/Budget-in-Brief---Internet-2022-Draft.pdf; this is the basis for our next budget.
More information on the budget process: https://board.countyofdane.com/budget
Justice System
As the Chair of the County’s Public Protection & Judiciary Committee, I feel personally responsible for moving forward reforms that will effectively balance public safety while investing in alternatives and diversion to keep people out of the justice system in the first place and reduce recidivism. We continue a complex discussion of the Consolidated Jail Project, and how to move forward given the call for justice system diversion and human services interventions, while considering several uncertainties for the future and fiscal realities at play. I am confident that the following are all true:
To wrap my head around multiple justice system resolutions debated recently and prioritize action, I developed the following summary resource which you may find interesting: https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11216346&GUID=66B929EB-D767-40CB-B485-ED2FE4F64A51. I believe a core challenge facing our efforts is need for further coordination, resources, and leadership to move from discussion to implementation on several of these recommendations.
A few efforts I’m especially interested in and optimistic about:
Need more? Dane County in the News (lots going on!):
