Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@wolfrivermedia.com
The Shawano County Board this week unanimously passed a resolution opposing the part of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget that would eliminate grants for low-income, disabled and elderly residents in rural communities to replace septic systems to be compliant with state law.
The resolution will go to Walker’s office, as well as members of the Joint Legislative Finance Committee and representatives in the state Assembly and Senate that represent Shawano County.
“We’ve been doing this a long time, and a lot of failed septics have been replaced,” County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann said Tuesday. “This fund definitely helps those low-income or elderly replace their failed systems.”
County officials said that since the fund was created in 1991, it has helped more than 900 property owners in Shawano County, which has received more than $2 million in program grants over that time.
Bob Jacobson, county planning director, said the grants provide for up to 60 percent of the cost for replacing septic systems, not to exceed $7,000.
Last year, 21 county property owners applied for assistance with their septic systems. The state was expected to provided $100,000 for the grants, but Jacobson said that if the Legislature approves the budget item, the property owners will be on their own to bring their septic systems up to code.
“That grant will be unavailable, not only for Shawano County, but for every county in the state,” Jacobson said. “All of those systems are inspected at the time that they’re installed, and this is a yearly thing.”
Septic system replacement costs vary, Johnson said. Replacing the system for a three-bedroom home could cost around $6,000 to $7,000, he said, while a mound system could cost as much as $14,000.
Supervisor Tom Kautza criticized the plan to eliminate one of the few programs that benefits rural communities. He noted that millions of dollars in block grants help property owners in urban areas.
“This is just an easy one (for the state) to get rid of, because you’re picking on the little guy,” Kautza said. “If they want to take this away from the little guy, they should take the same percentage away from the other ones, too.”
In March, the County Board passed a similar resolution opposing a budget proposal that would have shifted property tax assessment responsibilities from municipalities to counties. The item was recently taken out of the budget by the Joint Legislative Finance Committee.