by Emmitt B. Feldner
for The Beacon

SHEBOYGAN – The County Board bid adieu Tuesday to five departing members with a total of almost two-thirds of a century of service on the board.

The meeting was the last of the term for the current board following the spring general election.

Of the five supervisors recognized with service awards by County Administrator Adam Payne, two – Fran Damp and Michael Ogea – did not run for re-election while the other three – Brian Hoffmann, Charlette Nennig and Robert Ziegelbauer – were defeated in their bid for re-election.

Ogea and Hoffmann had each served 20 years on the board, while Damp had been a supervisor for 14 years, Ziegelbauer (vice-chair of the board) eight years and Nennig four.

The new County Board will meet next Tuesday to begin its organizational process, which will include electing a chair, vice-chair and members of the Executive Commitee.

· · ·

The board ended its term with a light agenda, balancing out the books, approving pay raises for the clerk of courts and sheriff, and setting a new speed limit on County RR in the town of Holland.

The balancing of accounts that were over or under budget for 2021 added up to the county coming in at $6.1 million under budget, a positive variance.

Of the 36 accounts, only four exceeded their budgeted amount.

Of those, the largest overage was for Rocky Knoll Health Care Facility. The facility, which struggled with understaffing in the face of the coronavirus pandemic all year long, leading to wage increases and bonuses to retain and attract employees, outspent its $14.8 million budget by $165,940, a little over 1 percent.

The approved salary increases are 2.5 percent a year over the next four years for the clerk of courts and 3 percent per year for four years for the sheriff.

The speed limit change on County RR extends the 35-mph speed limit on the south side of the village of Cedar Grove all the way to just past the overpass over the Union Pacific Railroad.