Local leaders gather to air views on issues
BY JOE POTENTE
[email protected]

BRISTOL — A prevailing wage provision in Gov. Jim Doyle’s state budget
proposal is generating concern among some local government leaders,
who are balking at a requirement that would force public entities to
seek bids for all contracts greater than $2,000.

The issue was one of many touched upon Saturday at a summit of county
and municipal officials organized by County Executive Jim Kreuser.

Dubbed the Council of Governments, the meeting at the Kenosha County
Center allowed leaders from all of the county’s municipalities to
sound off on issues of concern.

In the case of the prevailing wage proposal, Twin Lakes trustee Tom
Connolly and others said it would tie the hands of local governments,
forcing a cumbersome bid process for even the most mundane projects.

The change, supported by labor unions, seeks to ensure that prevailing
wages are paid for workers on all projects involving public money. The
bid requirement for all contracts greater than $2,000 is a significant
decrease from the current threshold of $25,000.

That’s too low, Connolly said.

“To construct a bid packet is a very time-consuming thing, just on
very mundane projects,” he said.

Kreuser said the proposed language could also prove problematic to
community projects that benefit from volunteer labor.

“This is not ready for prime time yet,” Kreuser said, adding there is
a good chance the language will change before the budget is adopted.

Connolly urged his fellow leaders to make the state government aware
of their concerns. The Twin Lakes Village Board is slated to take up a
resolution in opposition to the provision on Monday, similar to
measures that Bristol and Somers passed recently.