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State Budget Bill/Budget Repair Bill

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1. Rumor: I have heard that the Economic Support unit is being eliminated and 13 people are losing their jobs in the coming weeks.

To date, the Proposed - 2011 Assembly Bill 40 has not been passed so at this time there are still unknowns. What we do know is the language of the proposed bill regarding income maintenance (Economic Support unit) and the timelines. Following is a portion of the bill that addresses the income maintenance program:

"This bill requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish an income maintenance administration unit (IM unit) in DHS to administer income maintenance programs in all counties. Until the IM unit is prepared to assume income maintenance from counties and from the Milwaukee unit, DHS may continue to delegate income maintenance administrative functions, on a county-by-county basis. The Milwaukee unit is eliminated when the IM unit assumes income maintenance program administration in Milwaukee County. This bill requires that the IM unit administer income maintenance programs statewide no later than May 1, 2012."

2. Will the 5.8% retirement contribution proposed in the Budget Bill on all active employees who are members of the Wisconsin Retirement System be pre- or post-tax?

Post-tax.

3. Will any additional contributions towards health insurance and Wisconsin Retirement System be pre-tax?

The health insurance contributions are pre-tax. Pension contributions are not.

4. How are law enforcement personnel affected by the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) contribution requirement?

With respect to WRS contributions for law enforcement, the nonrepresented law enforcement employees are treated the same as all general municipal employees and will be required to pay the 5.8% contribution. In addition, the Sheriff, as an elected official, is required to pay the WRS contribution, but the WRS contribution for elected officials is 6.65%. For the represented unit, WRS remains a bargainable issue.

5. When will employees start to contribute to the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)?

The effective date of deductions from employees enrolled in the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) will begin the pay period from July 31 - August 13, 2011. This deduction will be reflected on your August 19, 2011 pay check/statement. The deduction will be 5.8% of your gross wage. This does NOT affect the Sheriff Deputies.

6. Can public employees who work for a Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) employer opt out of the WRS?

No. Current law prohibits participating employees from opting out of the WRS. Allowing WRS members to opt out of the WRS would be difficult to administer, would have a detrimental impact on the sustainability of the WRS, would increase contribution rates for employees and employers in the WRS, and employees who opt out would not be taking advantage of investment returns that end up paying more than 66% of the retirement benefit.

7. Could any of this have an effect on employee costs to the County's health insurance plan?

It depends. Although the Budget Repair Bill limits the amount that an employer, who participates in the state sponsored health insurance plan, can contribute on behalf of its employees to 88%, Douglas County is self-insured and does not participate in the state sponsored plan. However, the fiscal impact of the cuts to revenue that the state provides to counties that are contained in the proposed 2011-2013 Budget Bill might require Douglas County to ask employees to contribute a greater portion toward health coverage. Health/Dental Insurance Contribution Percentages

8. Is it true that Douglas County department supervisors recently received pay bonuses?

No, it is not true.

9. Are step wage increases still available to non-represented employees?

Yes. Employees who are not members of a collective bargaining unit can progress through a step process based on performance. Represented employees progress through a contract progression scale. We don't anticipate that practice ending.