Common Council was to Discuss Support of Budget Bill

Editors note:  the Common Council had not been able to discuss the resolution, nor vote on it prior to its being withdrawn.  Details of the resolution were nevertheless considered relevant to the impact of budget concerns that Muskego, along with other communities, must face.

A rescheduled common council meeting on Thursday was brief, but held a resolution in support of the collective bargaining law modifications that were part of Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill.

Mayor John Johnson had drafted the resolution, which was originally to be read Tuesday evening, but the regularly scheduled common council meeting had to be postponed due to the lack of a quorum.  

The resolution cited "the costs associated with personnel, including employee benefits continue to comprise a larger portion of government budgets including the City of Muskego," along with the benefit to the city if the requirement of Wisconsin Retirement System employees paid 5.8% into their pension.

In addition the city stands to gain a cost savings by eliminating the need for maintaining two health plans, instead creating a two-tier benefit plan to cover both protective and general employees under one carrier.

While Mayor Johnson called the need for the resolution "moot" as the bill had been passed just hours before, the withdrawn resolution did outline how the city could stand to recoup a shortfall in funding.