Dunn County Board’s legislative agenda includes nursing homes, mental health and land use
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Board has approved a “legislative agenda” with 23 items, including more Medicaid reimbursement for nursing homes, the shortage of mental health bed space statewide and issues related to land use.
Last February, the Dunn County Board met with state legislators who represent Dunn County to discuss what the county board would like to see the state Legislature address.
The county board is planning to meet with legislators again in 2020, and “I believe it’s an important thing we do,” said Paul Miller, county manager, at the Dunn County Board’s November 12 meeting.
After the meeting with state legislators earlier this year, the state implemented better Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes, Miller said.
Wisconsin has ranked dead last among the 50 states for Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes.
Over the past year or two, a number of nursing homes have closed in Wisconsin, and local nursing homes are struggling financially because of the low Medicaid reimbursement, which covers 60-some cents on the dollar.
Nursing homes also are experiencing problems attracting and retaining workers because they are unable to pay competitive wages.
In addition to the state increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates, another legislative agenda item under nursing homes is to encourage the state of Wisconsin to eliminate the rule that prohibits a county-owned skilled nursing facility from also having a Community Based Residential Facility that accepts Medicaid residents.
The third legislative agenda item under nursing homes is to encourage the state to increase funding to expand nurse’s training programs at universities and community colleges.
Many nursing homes are experiencing problems finding registered nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) to work at the facilities.
Under the health and human services portion of the county’s legislative agenda, support for Medicaid expansion in Wisconsin is included, as well as increased funding for child welfare services and a study and funding of resources to address the mental health bed space shortage statewide.
Counties in Western Wisconsin have experienced a 400 percent increase in mental health placement costs at Winnebago over the past five years, the legislative agenda resolution notes.
Last year, the Dunn County health and human services budget had a $1 million deficit related to children who were removed from homes where adults were suffering from methamphetamine and opioid addictions and because of an increased number of people needing mental health services.
Land use
Under land use, the Dunn County Board would like to see more support for allowing the local control of land-spreading human septage.
In addition, the legislative agenda includes establishing a Wisconsin Legacy Fund to support core conservation and environmental programs and practices as well full funding for Land Conservation staff according to the formula already in state statutes.
The land use legislative agenda also includes support for a state grant program for disposing of deer carcasses and increased state recycling grant funds.
At a special meeting of the Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling Management Board November 14, it was reported that the state allocated $32 million for recycling grants in 2011-2012 but by 2016-2017 was only allocating $19 million.
The county’s legislative agenda includes support for an increase in the state’s gas tax, too.
Earlier at the November 12 meeting, the Dunn County Board approved a $20 county vehicle registration fee to help cover maintenance costs for county highways because the state provides an inadequate amount of transportation aid.
The legislative agenda includes support, too, for increased funding for rural broadband expansion.
Dunn County has mapped broadband availability, and while some areas of the county have good Internet access, other areas of the county have no Internet Service Providers available.
Levy limits
The legislative agenda includes two items related to the state’s levy limits as well.
One item suggests that the exemptions to the state’s tax levy limit, which now includes debt service and funding for libraries, also should include exemptions for the cost of unfunded state-mandated services.
The second item suggests the state Legislature should amend the tax levy limits to allow counties to increase the tax levy over the previous year by the percentage of increase in net new construction plus the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the region in which the county is located.
Current state law only allows an increase in the levy limit equal to the percentage of net new construction.
If no new construction has occurred in a county, the legislative agenda suggests, then the allowable levy increase should equal CPI for the region.