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Walworth County wants public input on board size

Photo

David Bretl

ELKHORN — Walworth County officials hope the public will engage in a new discussion about the size of the county board.

The Walworth County Executive Committee on Monday sent the matter to the full county board for discussion in August. The committee did not make a recommendation.

Instead, committee members hoped members of the public would attend the board meeting and weigh in, Administrator Dave Bretl said.

A letter written earlier this month by board member Jerry Grant sparked the conversation. Grant wrote that when the federal census results are available, the time will be ripe to consider increasing the size of the board.

In 2007, voters cut the board from 25 members to 11.

The small board size means a large workload for board members, Grant said. The change was the result of a binding referendum petitioned for by a citizens group.

At the time, the change was hotly debated by elected officials and members of the public.

In an interview last week with the Gazette, Bretl said the board might be able to propose new districts by December 2011.

The process would include public hearings and input from municipalities.

Once the new districts are set, the law would only allow board sizes to be reduced—not increased—until the 2020 census, Bretl said.

WCEDA funding gets tentative nod

The executive committee on Monday also gave tentative approval up to the future of the county’s largest business association.

The committee voted 3-1 in favor of continuing to give money to the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance, Administrator Dave Bretl said.

But the vote is advisory, and it’s a long time until budget season, Bretl said in a phone interview.

The county has been giving $50,000 annually to the alliance. The committee’s recommendation will go to the full county board in August. The board could make a recommendation about the money to Bretl.

Committee member Dan Kilkenny voted against funding the alliance.

Walworth County Economic Development Alliance President Kim Howarth said the group’s purpose would change drastically if it lost the county funds.

The alliance works to foster economic growth in the county. It also administers a $500,000 revolving loan fund for small or new businesses and manages a $685,000 training grant for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The alliance was formed in 2005.