I got it right. I looked it up. I was getting resources. I always get mixed up on the numbers.
I can never remember district numbers. I know mine. I know David Mac for district, but
then you were here and you were a county board supervisor in the fourth, but you were an
alder in the another district that I couldn't keep track of. I like to add a you know add a little bit
of confusion to make people think, but honestly, it's the people that matter. Not so much the number.
All the colony supervisors, all the council members, we all deal with the same issue, but it's just
when you need direct service or help within your neighboring district, but it's the people that matter.
Okay. Yeah. With that in mind, the county board just passed and the city do pass their budgets.
That's right. And the city I had the mayor in here, a matter of fact, he's coming in on Thursday,
I think. And we talked about and he said the actual the city budget, the city money is going down.
However, when you get your tax bill, it will look bigger. You've taken your head now.
It's a play with words. Don't finish your. Yeah, because everybody else is piled on to that tax bill when
you get down, down, down, down. No, the tax. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. That's sucker.
You do. Yeah. And you're holding one as well. But no, uh, no, the tax levy went up for the city.
People should expect for the city's portion. I'm going to went down. Oh, god.
Don't don't have so much hope for you. You know what? This is when it's going to be a test.
So whether that sucker is a race from your forehead or not in December, that beautiful gift we get
in the mail when we get our tax bill in the mail, open it up. And especially if you live in, uh,
a kid district, a tax and incremental district, you know, so those who are able to apply for some
grants to get home, uh, repairs done, it's going to go up even more. So you will feel it. So
that's just hold this until Christmas when everybody opens their tax bill and, uh,
Don, that you were the national honor society in high school. I had so much hope for you to
understand this stuff. Your IQ is like genius, which it isn't, but I remember the story. Yeah,
I love that anyway. So, um, all right. So give us a low down on the county. The county. Yeah.
So the county budget, um, we passed it November 11th. And there is going to be a property
tax increase. We have about 2.8% on the general operations, 3.3% overall. So what does that mean
for those that are paying property taxes? That's a $200,000 home. You're roughly paying about
$9, $10 more for the county's portion of the bill. Um, another thing to understand is that
that's, uh, it moves along with inflation. So that tax increase is about the same level as
inflation. So we're not super seeding that. So it is, uh, right along along with that. Our
services are still in tax. So it's not like you're going to see a decrease in services. Yeah,
what services does the county overnight? Or the city picks up your garbage. They plow the streets.
They supposedly fix the, uh, the streets and everything. So what does the county do? Well,
let's just say this, Don, all the things you want to complain about, just leave it for the
county super or the county council. But yes, I mean, the city council. So and for the county board,
you're going to have your 911 dispatch. So that's important. Your sheriff's department. We have
county parks, county maintenance. We have mandated services. So those in the, uh, Cornwall
building over on Taylor. Uh, so you'll see not only our workforce development, but it works along
with child support and even mental health services or juvenile detention. We also have the
courts. So there's a little bit different of services. So county should be looked at as the
arm of the state. So. So if I want to gripe about something on the roads, don't bother you with
that. Please. No, no, no. David Mack is your council member. You can call him up. You know,
I've just taken this. I can't blame the city for this one, but it was leaf collection time by
two weeks ago. And we had workman working on a house, a couple of houses down. And they've got to
have a smarter brain than this, but they blocked in from both sides. The leaves in the pile of leaf
so the city couldn't get to it. Yeah. I mean, these guys can't be that stupid. They can't be that
stupid. So anyway, they blocked it in. And of course, the city didn't pick it up. It couldn't get
to it. So then it snowed. And the two drivers parked there again. So the city couldn't plow.
So the snow sat there for a couple of days. And the truckers were riding through it and just
spread it out a block wide. So I had to go shovel it up again and cleaned it up again. Because I
think that we never leave collection on the 21st or 24th, whatever. And they couldn't be these
guys couldn't be that stupid to block in the leaves. And they did it. And so we just give them a
benefit. Maybe there's limited parking right there on Main Street. We got some driveways that
they had to probably work around. They have work equipment and leaves are very beneficial.
That nice, great, healthy matter for your soil. And you have extra workouts. These were more like
pine needles and leaves. But I'm trying to. And done. You got to get out there and have another
workout session. I did. And I spent the rest of the day complaining about my back because I
shoveled the snow like an idiot when I should have brought my snowblower out. But I do understand
the frustration. And just like you said, so this week we're starting the new cycle of leaf pickup.
It's our last one. So those who have some yard matter that you want to get out in the
street doing now these next couple of weeks. That's it. And then the city trucks will put their plow
gear on. And that will be done. Well, when I did was this time, I actually took one of my garbage
bales and filled it up to the brim with all the pine needles and the leaf. And I couldn't put it
all in there. But I put it into I call the city to find out when the next one was. I said I put
it in the garbage bail for now. No, no, when I'm picking that up, I said calm down, lady.
I didn't say you were going to pick it up. I just said I put it in there for now. I want to know
when I can put it back in the street again, because I don't want to blow it all over the neighborhood.
Too is really nasty to me. So sorry. I'm not going to leave it in the garbage. I just want
to know when I can put it back in the street again. Well, how responsible for you to call and ask
because you cannot put composable matter or like leafs and stuff. I didn't want to blow it
all over the neighborhood. That's brilliant. I do the same thing and I wait until that time.
And then put it back out there again. Exactly. Well, she was mad at me.
Oh, I bet. So how will we get back? David Max coming in here on Thanksgiving day.
Oh, wonderful. And the mayor is coming in this way. I can't. Oh, get him, get him. That's all good.
I'm not going to get him. No, no. David Mac, he's such a good guest here. I enjoy listening
to the show when he's on on here. So Thanksgiving is a little lighter. Yeah. Yeah. Good.
Fourth district. We're seeing County board supervisor. I still want to say older.
I'm listening to brilliant. It just rolls off the tongue smooth. They're all there.
County board supervisor, Melissa Comprilians here. And we're talking about your money because
the County board just passed a budget. As did the City of Racine. We'll talk to the mayor about that
this week. Well, we're talking about the county now. And you got some more stats for us.
I do. I have some more stats. So I think the taxpayers should know that the county budget is roughly
252 million. And something that I get asked about quite a bit. And because it's relatively new
is our countywide sales tax. And how does that help with the taxpayers burden? So we collected
roughly about $21 million in the, or we will projected up until 2025 here to the end.
And five million of that will go to property tax relief. And about 16 million of it goes
towards our operation. And that directly helps the taxpayers. So it's not on the taxpayers burdens.
On those who are purchasing goods here in Racine County. So it really helps with that.
You know, I think there was a lot of conversation that got brought up during this county budget
process. First of all, it was our county executive Ralph Maliki's first budget, which he did phenomenal
job with it. Definitely well equipped with his background to really process all the moving parts
with the county. It's, it's a lot to take on Don. I mean, it takes years to get yourself familiar.
I mean, we were one of the bigger employers for Racine County. But and a lot of services that go
out and our funding streams isn't one single funding stream. Just like I told you in the viewers
earlier, there's a lot of mandates in there. So our funny money sources come in from different
directions. But he did a good job. He inherited a lot of these spending patterns. And but the county
board supervisors, they have a lot of skill set as well. And so they bring in different few points.
So that's the beauty of the diversity of the county board. Lots of discussion being have realized
some of our spending patterns would not be able to remain sustainable moving forward.
So there's going to be a lot of heavy discussion as we move forward in 2026, 2027, not only for
the county, for the city, but many other places who were depending on those arpa dollars.
You know, that all, what's arpa dollars? Those are the American relief dollars that came
remember during the COVID time. And so that's about fizzled out. You know, it's about to fizz
aloud. And 2027 is going to be an eye opener for a second. They're still giving them.
No, we're spending period. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So those will dissipate and be gone.
And a lot of it already is already spent. So a lot of things to be looking out for. And
especially as this new election season comes, you know, you're really going to want somebody who
really understands and has probably a high level of fiscal understanding because it is going
to be tough as those sitting in these elected seats. And mind you, Don, they don't get paid very
much. It's practically a volunteer position, but both positions at the county and the city
are roughly about $7,000 is what elected officials get paid. So I only put that out there and
it takes a special person with a special heart and a special background. You know, we love our
neighbors. We love the people, but I really suggest as we're going into this new election cycle,
you want somebody who has that background in finance because 2027 is going to be a rough year.
So, okay, let's move on. You talked about earlier during break. We talked about the
stirred event or you asked. I didn't hear the, I remember when we had some of the stirred
event police officers in here. Yes. And they were talking about a while ago. And I guess it
came to fruition that they're cutting out the stirred event police department now. Yeah,
they are. There's going to be the sheriff's department is going to be taken that over. It's
going to be revenue for the county. The stirred event will have to pay. But that was yesterday
actually stirred event shut the door. That's probably why we're hearing it on the radio. But
we had a meeting with the finance department at the county and a temporary agreement was approved
and then it went to the county board for first reading. We still have to finalize it.
You know, there's some question on finalizing that when it happens. But there is no permanent
agreement right now. It is just a temporary agreement. And so, stirred event is well covered. So,
don't, you know, I hope those who are listening that are on and stirred event are feeling like
they're going to be in an unsafe community. Our sheriff's department does a very good job. And
they already had covered the area now. There are over time. Those who are on the sheriff's
department have an opportunity to have some over time. How many police officers are we talking
about in the stirred event? That is okay. We have a union in here. That was the police union
was in here. Yeah. But such a while ago, I forgot what they said. I, you know, Don, I don't hold
me to it. But I was thinking there was 11 to my head. That's it. Yeah, you know, let's let's
just put that out there. Can they apply to the sheriff's department? I mean,
they had to work. Those who had left, yeah, those, oh, they're like, just went along. Yes,
well, because we're going in a little different direction here. But so, at the finance committee,
there was four last, last standing stirred event officers. I don't know how much
there were prior to that. So, you know, maybe that's the where the 11 comes from. I don't know
where numbers come from in my head. But there was four. And I knew a couple, there was one that had
applied to County Sheriff. And one didn't know if they still wanted to be in law enforcement
anymore and another one left for I think another position or profession and I can't remember the
fourth. But those were the four last standing when we were at the finance committee meeting prior to.
So, what do they do with the police cars? All the equipment they had, the police? What
do they do with all that stuff? Oh, good question. I like, boy, Daniel. That's lovely. Well,
I didn't get, I didn't ask that same question. However, I am, I'm not sure if they'll be utilized
and picked up. I mean, of course, they're marked different than our recene County Sheriff. But,
you know, I know a lot of the equipment that we don't use at the county, even at the city,
would go to auction. Yeah. But, you know, I don't want to put that out there. That's the absolute
what's going on. So, but it was voted on by the stirred event board that services now would be
taken over. I mean, other people besides the police officers, people who work in the administration
and the, all those people are out of work. Yeah. So, I mean, there will be well covered. I just
want to put that out there in the universe. I thought I had some notes here, but you know,
I guess we're just going to go off of what's in there. No, no, no, I have to do with that when you
came in. You weren't there. That's my that's really good. That's okay. So, but I will say it is
only right now. It is only a temporary five-month agreement with the county roughly to bring in
a little under $500,000 for the county because it is paying one of our premium rates and hourly
rate for our officers. Special deal. What is this? It's an overtime rate. So, it's it's going
in a business. I'm going out of the home. Yeah. Okay. So, it's a five-month deal. It's a five-month
temporary deal. We are working right now for a more permanent agreement. What happens if you can't
reach it after five months? It'll be reached on. We won't go down that path. They will be reached.
Oh, yeah. You know what? The government won't shut down. I can't imagine that. We'll put it
this way down in the temporary agreement. They're paying a high premium. Yeah. So, when it gets to
a more permanent agreement, it'll kind of balance out. So, why wouldn't it work out in the long run?
I kind of forgot about this. And we had I thought we had the union in here several months ago.
So, it took a long time for it to happen, I guess. Yeah.
About negotiations and stuff? I for sure. Well, I was not in that. I'm busy raking leaves.
No. And having trucks block them. No, no, no. Not I. Not I. But, you know, these are great
topics and these are things going on in the community. In the public, you know, all these meetings
are open to the public. Come, come, listen, pay attention and, you know, get the scoop and you
might be able to contribute to the conversation and the decisions because that's what's beautiful
about local municipal government is that things that you bring to the table can actually make a
difference and change very relatively quickly. So, we all, you know, are part of the process here.
You guys meet at the bill. It's on spring street just over the count over the interstate, right?
That's right. That's where you meet up. That's the Ives Grove bill.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, we meet out there. We have our standing committees and the
county board. There's other things going on to town. Do you want to know about them? Do we
have time? If you hold on a few minutes, we can. I will. I will. We'll keep you here. We
have nothing else doing this morning. I like being here. It's a question for you, though. The best
age to be this time of year. What is it? Do I have options? Well, we can be. Most people say
between six and 10 years old. Oh, no. I don't want to be that age. I do because.
Mom and dad, buy me everything. I don't care if you're broke. I want to see it here. Christmas
morning. I want to see gifts. I don't care. I got the whole Christmas time off. I don't have to do
any work. I want those. That's great. That's such a narcissistic. When you're six years old,
what do you care? Your mom and dad are going to take care of everything. Okay. Okay. And little
that I know, they didn't have a lot of money, but they never let us know that. We just got what we
got. And they kept all the finances a secret from my brother and I. So I never until I was an
adult. I wish I could. You could live in oblivion like that. I love it. I love walking around with
clouds in the above my head. Little birds. We're going around my head. Melissa Capurrian joining us.
She is the district for county board supervisor here in Racine. And I see you got your phone out.
We didn't finish yet. We didn't finish. What do we have? Well, one, let's, let's do this really
great thing. The county is doing. It's been doing it for the last decade is youth and governance.
And this is an opportunity for Racine County youth who live within Racine County, go to
Racine County schools to be able to serve for a school term on the county board. They are
paired then with a mentor and they are become part of the discussion. They're able to vote. It
goes down into history. It's not, it's a non binding vote, but and then they also work on a project.
And right now it's nomination time. So adults, listen up here. You even as parents or maybe within
an organization you have or if you're connected to the schools, if you have a ninth, tenth or
eleventh grader who may be interested in serving in government, have yourself. You can go on the
Racine County's website, type in Racine County youth and governance. There'll be a nomination
form. You can do it online. So simple. One of the criteria is the youth should have a 2.5 or
better GPA, but just put their name in their school and then we'll do the rest. And then the youth
has to do the rest. So we contact them and then they fill out an application. So and then only,
it's a very competitive process on only 10 youth are selected to serve with two alternate. So 12
and total across Racine County. It is a wonderful program. So right now is nomination time. It'll end
in December, roughly the second week in December. So think about those youth and who you might
feel would be interested in serving into that. And then I can talk about before you get to that.
Yesterday, I'm listening to an old-time radio show, Our Miss Brooks with Eve Arden,
old-time radio show. And it was let the students take over the government for the day.
You had a student mayor, you had a student chief of police here. So they're at the assembly.
And the mayor is there. Chief of police is there. The principal is there. And the principal's
daughter gets up. She's going to be the mayor. And the first thing she does was under my administration
with this day, we're going to stop corruption. There'll be no more grafting from the mayor taking
money. We're going to put it in. They should have shut her up real fast. Then they bring the guy up,
which Richard Crenn has a little kid. They bring him up. He's going to be the chief of police.
I want to continue saying what Harry had said, we're going to end corruption. The police will be
taking no more bribes and grafts into my administration.
Sitting there on stage, it was hilarious. But that's what I picture going on with this.
Oh my God. Well, they do bring a light air to the room. And I'll tell you,
you know, us adults hearing us adults, sometimes there's a tune out that happens. But,
you know, we try to stay engaged. But when those youth talk, we are full attention. So,
really, their voice does matter. And it's great to have the youth perspective added to the county
issues. So get those nominations in. Look it up. Reach out to myself or any other county supervisor,
if that's easier to remember than going on the website. We do have some construction ahead.
You see all those barrels all over the place. I see barrels everywhere and nobody working.
That's what I see. That's so hard for people to see. I know, I know. But just know when you see
the barrel. That means your government that we care and that it's progress ahead. So,
but our bridge, our state street bridge downtown. Yeah, I know. I heard that that's it's
federal. It's not a city thing. It's a wisdom thing. Yeah. Yeah. It's a wisdom thing.
$12.5 million dollar project. What's the matter with it? It has some, it has some structural
failings. So it's going to get a new grid. It's going to address some of the major structural
issues. We can't let this one go down. Nobody wants to be on the bridge. I drive over it every day.
And it's down to a couple of lanes right now. And it's been that way. Yeah. So they're going to move
forward with the rehabilitation project project. And but don't expect it till spring of 2027. It
goes out to bid. It's already gone through. Right now, the design, the engineer design with
Grafe and H&H are doing. But it's going to be bid to do the work out in February. So spring,
2027. Should I drive over it in the meantime? No, no, no, you're good. You're good. It would
be shut down completely if they felt that it wasn't that safe. I do it twice a day coming and
going. Yeah, no, you can do it. So the steel grid deck will be replaced along with, you know,
the underbelly of it. I know the mayor had asked them to reconsider the color. So we'll get back
and see what color. When they do that, then it's closed down for a long time. When they do it,
yep, it'll be they're trying to minimize that and hopefully we get around it really easily.
Yeah, no, my gosh, the detour will be just fine. It's yeah, no big deal. So and only the duration
of be about a year. So yeah, you're goes by quick. Talk to us older people. We realize life
just starts to accelerate at a certain point, right? So I get to say that. I worked with the age
population for 20 years. And that's what they all say. Life goes by so fast. So what's a year,
right? But a minute, look at you. I expected just, well, how much to talk about today. Wow,
there was a lot of chatty. No, no, you had good information today. Good, good, good.
Everybody's got to be aware of this. And by the way, if you missed any of it, you say,
good information. I wasn't paying attention. We'll have the podcast up either tonight or tomorrow,
by tomorrow morning, the minimum. So you can get to hear it. I thought Melissa wasn't going to
say anything. I wasn't paying attention. Oh, yes. So now we'll get it. You look like you're ready
for the data winter. Look at you. I have got the data winter out there. It was 35 degrees
driving in. No, it's 30 degrees driving when you came in. Yeah. No, it's 30 degrees now,
I think. Is that really? Take a look. Let me take a check here. Hold on a second. It's climbing
down. It's climbing a degree or two. We got above freezing. So hold on. I mean, I could check
here just to make sure it is now 33 degrees. Oh, she is. It feels like 35 with my winter hat
and my jacket that I have. Hey, I went to the, I had my spring jet. This was an amazing week.
We went from snow to 64 degrees back to freezing again. The one that I was getting sick.
I went from my winter coat to my spring coat to my winter coat to my spring coat back
to the winter coat again. That is Wisconsin for us. And you know, I got over COVID. I had COVID
at the end of October. I, he's covered up his face. He's now a big blockage from Melissa. But
I am doing so much better. But I, man, it really sucks being sick. But this fluctuation weather,
which is not what gave me COVID, but this fluctuation and weather has put a lot of people, you know,
it's a tissue next to them. So people know you don't catch colds from the weather. You
get colds from viruses. It just makes you more susceptible to them in the winter. But you don't
get, there's no such thing. My mother is saying, get your coat on outside. Get your hand on it.
You'll get cold. No, you won't catch a cold from that mom. You'll catch a cold from a virus.
Well, you know, the cold temperature does drop your immune system and having your nose cold
time, believe it or not, that really affects to the dropping of your immune system. Keep that
nose warm. Imagine a five year old kid sings it, mom, you're wrong. It's a virus mom. Don't tell me
mom, I can go out without a jacket. I know it's only 22 degrees. Don't worry. I'm just
in a five year old telling him whether that that's what I was. My 12 year old tells me I'm wrong
all the time. I never did. My mother was always right. My mother and father, they were never wrong.
I loved that. Yeah, at least I didn't think they were wrong. I mean, you know,
five and six years old, you believe everything people tell you. Well, now they believe everything
on tic-tac. So that's why I'm always getting corrected because tic-tac tells him something different.
Tell me how different my life would have been if all that stuff was around when I was a kid.
I mean, just would I've been a different person? I don't know. Yes, you definitely would have
been a different person. I'm sure of it, but I like that we all grew up with outside not coming in
until nighttime and finding in our own entertainment instead of looking at our phones or
screen for entertainment. I hate the fact that I carry my phones around with me. I hate that fact
because I don't want to, but you I'm like, it's a magnet. You can't do it. You know what your wife
could get you for Christmas. My daughter just bought one. It's a box that you put your phone in
and it locks it. No, you can't do that. And then you cannot, you have to call the company to try
to get them to unlock it. If you have you feel there's like this need and then they get back with
you in like 24 or 48 hours. So you still have to wait. I mean, there is one bypass area that they
don't want you to know about, but. So my wife decided and she'd probably listening out. My wife
decided she is done being a slave to cell phones. So she went out and bought a flip phone.
They still sell them. Yes, they do. And she realized in less than a month,
is that I'm going to work? So she went out and bought a real phone. I did hear the taxi does
take a little bit, but when we used to have the flip phone, we had those counts down, which button
you click how many times and I forgot about that. When I saw our phones, I see here going
to the number one and they're going, ABC. You can see. Whoa. That's just to say hello to somebody
takes you 20 minutes. You see how we end to put more complexities in our life. And then we want
more simplicity. And then we want more complexity. And then we want so there's just
Evan flow that constantly happens. Well, we want to when we used to go in a tweak vacation,
the beginning of August every year, two weeks.
Locked the doors were gone. There was no phone. There was no checking phone. Nothing.
For two weeks, we didn't know what happened. We didn't care. And there was no answering
machine. So at the end of two weeks of somebody wanted to get a hell of us, they called back again.
Yeah. On our phone in the kitchen or my mother or father had a phone in their bedroom.
That was great. Now you're constantly checking. First thing you wake up in the morning,
but let me see it. Whoa. It's the identity theft. Well, well, well, let me see. It's not only
news on your phone. You're getting your text messages. You're getting your emails. It's the
miss call. It's the voicemail. And so there's quite a bit. Man, I wish I'm glad we have the
technology. It made life a lot easier, but it also made life a lot more stressful.
It did, but now to bring it back home, we have to circle all right back. It allows the
opportunity for those who can't make their government meetings and get interested in and get
aware of the topics. They can go on both the city of Racine and Racine County bolts stream
their meetings on YouTube. So they both have YouTube channels. So you can watch them there. And
usually the social media feeds on Facebook will alert you when there's going to be a meeting.
And that'll be streamed. And then you can head over to the YouTube channel and watch it.
Thank you for coming in. Yeah, you're welcome, Tom. I don't know. And you're on a curling
league now. I am at a curly league. The Racine has a curling club. So those who don't know,
it is what a gem. So you have to with that broom. I am out screaming to the top of your lungs.
I'm out there falling down. That's what I'm doing. But it is hilarious to see a growing person
fall. It gives everybody a little chuckle. Oh, this is fun. I broke my ankle today. Oh,
this is the fun. I cracked my collarbone. Oh, do you have it a good time? I've only I've only
played twice now. But it is a hoot. So yeah, not me. I don't do anything like that.
Oh, well, you can spectate. The last league I was not. I was nine years old. Actually, I was
9, 10 and 11, not yeah, through 12. I was on the police boys club bowling league in New York.
And we met the police have this thing to keep up with kids out of trouble.
So I went on the bowling league for four years. It was great. You had a shirt with the
police logo on it. It was everything. That's the last league. Thank you for coming in. Oh,
you're welcome, John. Love being here. That's good. I'm glad. Excellent. Melissa
Capralion, our fourth district Racine County board supervisor. Good to have her in today.
