Adopting An Interim Sauk County Non-Profit Agency Funding Program

Background: In recent years, the Sauk County Board has been funding outside agency requests through

the annual budget process.  This is a process that has excluded participation from any outside agency

that may not be aware Sauk County will consider funding programs that may be beneficial to providing essential services to the residents of Sauk County.

On November 13, 2018 a motion was unanimously adopted by the Sauk County Board of Supervisors lay on the table and refer to the Finance Committee and Executive & Legislative (E&L) Committee a motion to adopt a financial policy that any outside agency receiving more than $20,000 in county funds provide a quarterly report to the Sauk County Board.  Based on input received at a subsequent E&L Committee meeting, the County Coordinator put forward an amended policy that addressed the question and developed a grant process.  The Finance Committee has not adopted that proposal.

The Sauk County board has a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Sauk County.  The existing process, while well intentioned, does not include a process of ensuring that such funds are distributed and handled in a fiscally responsible manner that meets the county’s fiscal mission and budget policies.

The proposed resolution sets forth a procedure for adoption during the 2020 budget cycle.  This proposal is not intended to be a permanent rule change or fiscal policy at this time.  The intent of this interim program is to test a method of funding outside agency requests in a manner that is more consistent with traditional grant processes generally recognized by multiple local, county, state, and federal agencies.

This plan would give the county board an opportunity to attempt a more formal grant process and to learn from this experience to see if this is a viable process for Sauk County to consider adopting in the future.  If this process is deemed to be successful, it could be laid before the 2020-2022 Sauk County Board as a permanent program either through a change to the rules of the board or through the county’s fiscal policy.