Dane County Executive Joe Parisi introduced his 2014 budget Tuesday, according to a press release.
The $508 million-budget includes $252 million for human services as well as funding for public safety, lake cleanup, infrastructure and climate change, according to the release.
“We have so much to be proud of in Dane County,” Parisi said in the release. “My 2014 county budget builds upon the values we hold dear by making meaningful investments to strengthen children and families, our communities, economic development and our quality of life.”
Human services funding will go toward improving mental-health services in schools, fundraising for Domestic Abuse Intervention Services and helping children in disadvantaged neighborhoods achieve success in education, according to the budget.
The county budget also includes investments in “lands and lakes,” such as improving collaboration between agricultural producers and the Land and Water Resources Department, as well as funding a “Cow Power” digester, which would help reduce phosphorus runoff into lakes.
Parisi also addressed climate change in his budget, pointing to hotter summer days, increased flooding and severe blizzards as factors that could burden public health and emergency services.
“In addition to adapting to climate change, our county will continue to be a leader in the coming year at mitigation,” Parisi said in the budget. “From manure digesters on our dairy farms, capturing methane from our landfill and turning it into millions of dollars to support public services, and expanding our fleet to run on cleaner, cheaper compressed natural gas, we have much to be proud of with our innovative approaches to environmental changes.”
