Hometown Broadcasting News Monday 10/21/19
21 October 2019 News
Finance Committee Begins Work On FDL County Budget
The Fond du Lac County Board’s Finance Committee begins its work today on the 2020 County Budget. The committee will be meeting with department heads through the course of the day. A second meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning also at the Fond du Lac City-County Government Center. County Executive Al Buechel delivered his annual budget address to the County Board last week. He’s proposing a tax levy of $45.9 million, which would equate to a tax rate of $5.87 a decrease of about 6 cents from this past year. The County Board will be asked to approve the 2020 County Budget at their November 5th meeting.
Ripon School District Receiving Less General Aid From The State
The Ripon Area School District will see its general aid from the state cut by $450,000 this school year. The state’s Department of Public Instruction recently put out the certified numbers for general aid. For the district it’s nearly a 3.9 percent cut in aid from the previous school year and amounts to $11.2 million in general aid from the state. The Oshkosh Area School District will be getting $1.1 million more. Other districts benefitting from increases include; Berlin, Markesan, Rosedale-Brandon, Waupaca, Wautoma, and Waupun. The Princeton School District will get less. Increases are going to 247 districts, cuts in aid to 169, and there’s no change in general aid for five districts.
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Governor Evers Reschedules Special Election
Governor Evers over the weekend rescheduled a special election for the 7th Congressional District seat Sean Duffy recently resigned from. Republicans were quick to criticize the original special election dates that called for a December 30th primary and January 27th special election. Fond du Lac County Republican Party Chair Rohn Bishop says it didn’t take into account overseas voting by military personnel. “The Governor I thought was going to be too cute by half and scheduled the election on a Monday in late January and that meant the primary was going to be on the last Monday of December, which put it on Hanukkah a holiday and meant that the county clerks up in the 7th District would be counting ballots and doing their canvass on New Year’s Day.” But Governor Evers has now scheduled the primary on the same day as the Spring Primary Election February 18th and the special election on May 12th. In addition Evers is calling for legislative reform to put Wisconsin’s special election law in compliance with Federal law.
End Polio Now
One of the goals of Rotary International is to eradicate Polio. The Ripon Rotary Club is part of the End Polio Now effort. Connor Hanson chairs that campaign. He says they are closing in on their eradication effort, but a couple of countries are still seeing cases. “There are two countries in the world that are still affected by the Polio virus Afghanistan and Pakistan so far currently in 2019 there’s been 88 cases of Polio none in the U.S., but it is still something that is affecting people all over the world.” Polio attacks the nervous system crippling people and can affect breathing. Thursday is World Polio Day and on that day the Culver’s Restaurant in Ripon will be donating 10 percent of sales from 5 to 8 pm to the Ripon Rotary Club’s End Polio Now efforts.
Congress Avenue Bridge Closed
A reminder to travelers the Congress Avenue Bridge in Oshkosh is closed today through Friday and again next Monday to vehicle and marine traffic. That will give crews the chance to do maintenance on the bridge’s grid deck. The bridge will be closed those days from 7 am to 3 pm. Drivers can use the Wisconsin Street lift bridge to cross the Fox River in Oshkosh.
Sturgeon Spearing License Purchasing Deadline
The deadline to purchase a license for the 2020 Lake Winnebago sturgeon spearing season is fast approaching on October 31st. Licenses are $20 for Wisconsin residents and $65 for non-residents. The 2020 sturgeon spearing season on the Lake Winnebago system starts on Saturday, February 8th. The minimum spearing age is 12-years-old. Youth who turn 12 years of age between November 1st and the last day of the 2020 spearing season are eligible to purchase a license after October 31st. Military personnel home on leave can also purchase a license after October 31st.
Ripon Leaf Collection Information
Ripon residents with questions about the fall leaf pick up in the city can find the answers at the city’s website. The Public Works Department has posted information about curbside collection, which will run through the third Friday in November, which would be November 15th. Public Works Director Mike Ehrenberg recently told the Common Council crews will be doing three rounds of the pick up with the city broken down into three zones for collection. Maps of those zones and the routes are also available at the city’s website. The city does not do a spring leaf pick up.
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