Treasurer tells committee county is understaffed; requests additional FTE for 2027 budget

Treasurer Denise Anderson presented benchmarking and workload data on July 14 and told the Administration Committee her office is understaffed relative to comparable counties and growing county demands.

Anderson cited the Wisconsin County Treasurers Association districts and multiple county comparisons to show that similar counties typically staff their treasurer offices at higher levels. She noted seasonal help has been useful but does not substitute for permanent staff because seasonals cannot handle complex payments, voids and safe procedures. "I feel like my back's against the wall," she said, arguing that adding one FTE (a net increase of 0.5 FTE in overall department counts) would cost about $25,000 after estimated offsets including reduced seasonal spending and banking savings.

Anderson also described revenue and operational figures: the treasurer's office generates about $80,000 in tax-collection revenue (before an contemplated fee increase), recent contract changes increased revenue by about $11,000, and a change in banking arrangements is projected to save roughly $14,000 annually; she estimated interest revenue tied to collections at approximately $136,000 on $128 million in balances at prior LGIP rates. Supervisors questioned alternatives (increasing seasonals or part-time hires) and discussed ranking the request among other new-position proposals for the 2027 budget. Several supervisors expressed general support and asked staff to include the request in priority discussions ahead of the fall budget cycle.

No formal vote was requested; staff sought supervisory input for prioritization.