Week of November 23, 2015

Watch WisconsinEye Feature: The Bridges & Highways of La Crosse County

The Capitol controversy over how to pay for highway repairs and infrastructure projects has focused on state government and how much further in debt it should go to pay for those programs. But local units of government across Wisconsin face the same funding crisis and crumbling roads and bridges.

WisconsinEye recently did a special "Newsmakers" show on "The Bridges & Highways of La Crosse County."  Steven Walters of WisconsinEye and Ron Chamberlin of La Crosse County discuss in-depth transportation needs on this fascinating day in the field with one Wisconsin county.

Watch the WisconsinEye feature on transportation here.
Close to 100 "WCA County Ambassadors" Meeting with Legislators in Madison
Close to 100 county officials were in Madison on Wednesday, November 4 as a part of the Wisconsin Counties Association's (WCA) County Ambassador Program (CAP). 

The full-day event included a briefing on key county issues, legislative office visits and a noon update by Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke.  See photos from the event here.

Learn more about the WCA CAP Team event here.
Register for Free WCA Webinar: Evaluating Your County Departments

County government is ever changing and resources are limited. How do you know if your county departments are serving the public in the most cost-effective manner? When was the last time a thorough evaluation or review was done of each department? Are the county departments following the policies established by the county board? Are county departments complying with all state and federal regulations?

On December 14, join John Rader, Senior Manager, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP for this webinar to discuss how evaluations and reviews are conducted and provide examples of innovative solutions counties made following a review, as well as offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions.

Register for the free December 14 WCA webinar here.  
Missed November WCA Educational Seminar on Fraud? See Handouts Online!

On Monday, November 16, 2015, WCA held an educational seminar on fraud risk, prevention, management, and response in Stevens Point.

This educational seminar was widely attended and the presentation was done by Joe M. Russell, Esq. and Marc W. Courey, CPA/CFF, JD, LLM, CFE, CICA, CCEP, CIA of Wipfli LLP.

See all handouts from the November WCA Educational Seminar by clicking here and scrolling down to "WCA Educational Seminars." 
Last Call: Leadership Wisconsin Taking Applications through November 30 for 2016-2018 Group!

Leadership Wisconsin is a statewide leadership development organization affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Extension. They have 33 years of experience and a national reputation for producing highly effective leaders.

What Do they Do?
Their mission is developing leaders to strengthen communities. They do this through a dynamic, two-year, hands-on leadership experience.
Applications Due November 30th!

Applications are currently available for the 2016-2018 Leadership Wisconsin Group and can be found here.
UW-Extension Teleconference: "Life After Prevailing Wage & Public Bid Basics"

The Prevailing Wage Law for local government public works contracts has changed. Learn the current status, and what you need to know when the law sunsets in 2017. This teleconference presented by Julie Eckenwalder, Chief, Construction Wage Standards Section with Workforce Development and Philip Freeburg, J.D., UW-Extension Local Government Law Educator will also include a review of bid requirements for public works projects under Wisconsin Law.

In partnership with the Wisconsin Towns Association, the Wisconsin League of Municipalities and the Wisconsin Counties Association the University of Wisconsin - Extension Local Government Center is hosting a five part teleconference series titled "Current Issues Affecting Local Officials". These programs were designed to provide unbiased information on the key issues facing local government officials.

The third teleconference in the series titled, "Life after Prevailing Wage & Public Bid Basics" will be held on Monday, December 7th from 10AM-11AM.

To Register:
These teleconferences can be broadcast directly to a participant's home or business. To register online, follow the link at lgc.uwex.edu or call 608-262-0810. The cost to attend is $20.00 per program. If you are unable to participate during the live session you can purchase an online audio stream of the presentation.

For more information on any of the teleconferences in the series please review the program brochure here or call the UW-Extension Local Government Center at (608) 262-9960.

WCA Associate Members

The role and relationship of government with the private sector has changed in recent years. The creation of the WCA Associate Member Program is one more way WCA is reaching out to bring together the public and private sectors.

WCA Associate Members include:

AECOM
American Transmission Company, LLC
Baird
Discover Mediaworks 
Motorola Solutions, Inc.
Wipfli LLP

We encourage you to learn more about our WCA Associate Members by clicking here.  For more information about this program please contact WCA Marketing and Events Manager Cheryl Fleck at 866.404.2700.    
IN THIS ISSUE
New WisconsinEye Feature on Transportation
WCA County Ambassadors Meet with Legislators
Register for Free WCA Webinar!
Handouts Now Available for WCA Seminar on Fraud
Last Call for Leadership Wisconsin
UW-Extension Teleconference: "Life After Prevailting Wage & Public Bid Basics"
WCA Associate Members