NAME: Vicki Burke
ADDRESS: W8349
PHONE NUMBER: 608-781-0737
E-MAIL: vburke0737@aol.com
BIRTHDATE:
NUMBER OF YEARS LIVED IN LA CROSSE COUNTY: 51 years
FAMILY: Son and daughter-in-law, Tony and Shannon Hentges
EDUCATION: B.A. from Viterbo
University Major-English education
Master of Education Professional Development
UW-L
OCCUPATION (if retired,
former occupation): Retired Educator-32 years at Logan High School-teacher
of English and
ELECTED OFFICES HELD (include years served):
La Crosse County
Board Supervisor District 26—2000 to present
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS:
Brice Prairie Conservation Association
Logan High School Booster/Alumni Association-Life member
Minister of the Word St Elizabeth Ann Seaton Catholic
Church, Co-editor of
church quarterly
Shamrock Club of
Why do you want to serve on the La Crosse County Board?
As chair of Judiciary and Law and the Law Enforcement
Construction Committee I want to make sure the
As a teacher I helped young people realize their goals and
dreams. Now I want to serve the people of
B. What are the two most
pressing issues facing
As traditional revenue sources continue to decrease,
A declining work force and increasingly aging population
will also impact our county.
The next several questions will ask your feelings about past
and future actions by the county board. Please answer by putting an “X” next to
the statement that most closely reflects your view. Then, please explain your
reasons in writing
1. Do you support or oppose reducing the size of the county
board by half?
Strongly Support
Support X
No opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Reason: Serious consideration must be given to
reducing the board size.
2. With the switch to a county administrator four years ago,
how satisfied are you with the county board’s new role as a board of directors
that makes policy decisions rather than operational decisions?
Very satisfied X
Satisfied
No opinion
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied
Reason: I feel that monthly reports from individual
department and the amount of time spent on budget preparation have made me much
more knowledgeable about the workings of the County. I like the idea that
we set the agenda and work on the long-term stability of the county rather than
the day-to-day activities.
3. How satisfied are you with the county administrator's new
four-year contract?
Very satisfied
Satisfied X
No opinion
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied
Reason:
4. How satisfied are you with the proposed “smart growth”
comprehensive plan scheduled for county board approval in coming months?
Very satisfied
Satisfied X
No opinion
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied
Reason: Working on the Comprehensive Steering
Committee for 30 months has been a learning experience. The numerous
public meetings gave great public input to this plan. It is a
compromise. No one is completely happy, but it assures that we will have
planned development rather than haphazard development.
5. Do you support or oppose having the county board hold a
referendum before borrowing money for buildings or other capital projects?
Strongly Support
Support
No opinion
Oppose X
Strongly Oppose
Reason: It is our responsibility to educate the public
on issues. Ultimately, however, we have been elected to make the
difficult decisions. If those decisions are made with public input and in
a thoughtful and deliberate manner we should not need to go to referendum.
6. Do you support or oppose
Strongly Support
Support X
No opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Reason: In the past few years
7. Do you support or oppose
Strongly Support X
Support
No opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Reason: Our philosophy believes community safety is
the highest priority. It also recognizes society’s and the victim’s
desire for justice. Our focus is on first assessing the risk to the
community and the characteristics of the offender. We then try to deliver
the most effective sanction or punishment for that offender with the hope of
changing his/her attitude to avoid future offences.
8. Do you support or oppose spending more of the county's
budget reserves to reduce the property tax levy?
Strongly Support
Support X
No opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Reason: I support using the budget reserves
conservatively, always maintaining the proper “rainy day” fund. These reserves
should not be used for ongoing expenses, however. It is our financial
security that has given
9. Do you support or oppose the state of
Strongly Support
Support
No opinion
Oppose X
Strongly Oppose
Reason: As I stated before, we have been elected to
make the difficult decisions. Shared revenue from the state has declined
or remained the same for the last 15 years. We have a fiscally
conservative history in
10. Do you support or oppose the county's plans for a $29.5
million jail expansion?
Strongly Support
Support X
No opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Reason: This was a unanimous decision of the La Crosse
County Board after much debate and study. It will meet our criminal
justice needs for the next 30-50 years. As a member of Judiciary and Law
for 8 years, I know we have done our homework showing the necessity for this
expenditure.