Mayoral Candidates, Senator Lazich Express Support of Governor's Two-Year Budget

State Senator Mary Lazich (R) and mayoral candidates Luke Hudock and Kathy Chiaverotti expressed support for the governor's proposed two-year budget, citing the key issue of cutting spending.

"I am impressed with our governor - he's doing exactly what he said he would do in cutting spending," Lazich stated.  "While he does that, he is also making education a priority, and making important increases to fund school choice."

Hudock was also not surprised by the message of Governor Walker's speech Tuesday afternoon, saying that Walker had been campaigning on a message of deep spending cuts for nearly two years prior to becoming governor.

"There are going to be tough times for cities and counties," Chiaverotti agreed. "But this has been coming for a long time."

Lazich also stated that, as expected, the budget would affect everyone with its deep cuts, including Muskego residents, but there were compensations afforded as well.  

"Everyone will be impacted by this, no one will be untouched, however the cuts in aid will be compensated by the contributions required in the budget repair bill," she said.

Hudock agreed, and said that he felt the need to pass the controversial Budget Repair Bill was even more important now that the two-year budget proposal has been made.

"The budget repair bill is most important to get passed, as it will give cities like Muskego the tools to address the shortfalls in state aid," he commented.

Chiaverotti also thinks the governor is doing the right thing to balance the budget. She wonders just how long the Democratic senators can stay away from Madison delaying even a debate about the bill.

"With a Republican majority, the bill will probably pass," she conceded. "However, until they come back the process as it's meant to be can't happen. There can't be a debate or a discussion if those senators keep running from the issue."

Muskego currently receives about $500,000 in state shared revenue, and the budget repair bill, if it passes, will introduce about $250,000 in savings. Should the state eliminate its aid to the city and the budget repair bill not pass, Muskego will face a potential $500,000 budget short fall. If the state aid is eliminated and the bill passes, the hole shrinks to $250,000.

Hudock felt that the cuts that would impact local government will be made up only in part by employee concessions to pay into health care and pension benefits.  He stated that the budget repair bill would give local municipalities additional leverage in negotiating such collective bargaining issues as overtime rules.

"I'm very much like George Bush (41) when I say I am not going to raise Muskego's taxes to make up the expected shortfall," he explained.  "That's an easy thing to do, just a stroke of the pen, and you have a source of revenue; however it's not the right thing to do.  My goal as mayor will be to cut spending without losing services."

Should she be voted as mayor, Chiaverotti said the only service she will not compromise on is public safety.

"The taxpayers can't be burdened with closing the potential budget gap," she said. "On the other hand, our residents expect a high level of service so to that I say with the exception of public safety, everything else will be on the table to discuss possible savings."