On Tuesday, October 22 at 7 p.m. the Jefferson County Board met at the courthouse in Jefferson to discuss topics such as their budget for 2020 and the Badger State Solar Project. The important topic of the evening was the proposed budget of $85 million for the 2020 year. This budget would go towards paying off debts, remodeling old buildings including the courthouse and other road reconstruction projects.

            The renovations of old buildings around the town of Jefferson are being evaluated to see where priority stands. The board is looking to update the Jefferson County Courthouse for operational purposes. The world we live in has turned to technology and the courthouse is behind on the equipment. This project will take a few years as they will make small changes throughout that time to modernize the interior of the building.

            While looking at the infrastructure of the courthouse, it is over 30 years old. Money will be spent wisely while making these renovations. Jim Schroeder, Chair of Jefferson County Board states, “If you have a car that’s nickel and diming you to death, it isn’t worth it.” Schroeder is referring to the renovating of the courthouse and believes that if they are going to make changes, they are going to make the changes that have a longer lifespan.

            With over 26 departments and over 800 programs to look at when thinking about a proposed budget, they focus on Human Resources because that is the largest department by far. Schroeder states, “The finance committee is made up of 5 people but the budget itself goes through a lot more than that.” When looking at an $85 million budget, it has to be revised many times and approved by multiple people for it to move on. This board focuses on all the departments and programs to declare where they will put some of the money from the budget. The amount they receive is calculated by how much they need during this time and placed in the budget outline by the committees. One large project they will put a fraction of the budget towards is the Badger State Solar Project.

            The Badger State Solar Project is a project that many power companies are looking for when providing sustainable energy. This project is specifically looking at a place west of Jefferson and use about 1500 acres. There will be pros and cons to this but they are hoping the pros will outweigh the cons. The financial help for this will go through taxes and they would receive $3,000 back from that agreement. The board is hoping that this project will help the community in the long run.

            Agriculture is going through a tough time right now so the Badger State Solar Project would be an economic sustainment for them. With this project being on a farmer’s field they would be receiving $1,000-$12,000 per year in the acre. This would be a benefit for some farmers since the crop rotation isn’t going too well with the weather.

            There are some cons to this investment and that would be the impact on property owners. There are limitations but there are impacts and converters would have to be used to help support the power. Overall, this project will take a little bit to get more people on board but with good faith in negotiating community members will begin to see both the pros and the cons of the project.

            Community members will have the opportunity to openly comment on the project on November 6 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Jefferson County Fair park grounds in the activity center.

For more information on the Jefferson County Board, including the meeting agenda and minutes, visit https://www.jeffersoncountywi.gov/