BROWN COUNTY — Brown County taxpayers are spending $6 million to subsidize a courts system that is supposed to be funded by the state of Wisconsin, according to Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach.
The county is grappling with a backlog of 2,800 felony cases, a problem Streckenbach attributes to a shortage of judicial resources the state has failed to provide.
"The courts are actually the state of Wisconsin's financial responsibility. Where Brown County's feeling a pain is because of their lack of funding of the courts system," Streckenbach explained.
Five hundred of those backlogged cases have been pending for more than two years.
"You may have some innocent people that haven't even gotten their day before the court," noted Streckenbach.
He says it costs about $70 a day to house one inmate in the county jail, and the judge shortage is delaying trials, driving up those costs.
"Singlehandedly, this is the largest cost that is negatively affecting Brown County that we have not inflicted on ourselves," Streckenbach emphasized.
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The county first raised its judicial needs to the state legislature three years ago. While the state provided Brown County some additional judicial resources in its last budget, Streckenbach says the county has not been granted an additional judge since the 1980s.
If the state does not provide judges soon, Streckenbach says the county will have to consider cuts to other departments. When asked how quickly those cuts could materialize, he pointed to a four-year window.
Still, the county executive remains hopeful that the next governor will make the issue a priority.
"I think this is a statewide issue. I think whoever's in the legislature next year, they'll hopefully tackle this and make it right for Brown County. If not, we'll continue our journey," Streckenbach said.
