Voters Again Say Yes for Public Nursing Home

By a resounding 81% - 19% margin, voters in Lafayette County approved a Nov. 12 referendum that allows the county to increase the property tax levy as much as 8.1% to continue supporting Lafayette Manor, the county’s only nursing home.

The landslide vote recognizing the value of the work done by AFSCME members who staff the home came on the heels of an Oct. 6 successful referendum in Green County.

Voters in Green County approved a potential county property tax increase of 13.3 percent to keep Pleasant View Nursing Home in county hands.

Referenda in these two southwest Wisconsin counties cap a fall series of five referenda involving county-run nursing homes. Lafayette and Green counties joined Dunn County in voting yes to support public ownership of a nursing home in each county. Jefferson and Shawano voted no in their referenda.

AFSCME members and staff worked hard with local coalitions in all these campaigns.

By winning three out of five, the pro-public nursing home forces showed that citizens are willing to support quality public services, even in tough times, and even if it means paying a bit more in taxes.

Council 40 Political Action Rep. Jason Sidener worked closely with Council 40 Organizer Mary Burpee and Council 40 Staff Rep. Ed Sadlowski to organize members in the district and work with a local coalition that supported Lafayette Manor.

AFSCME’s Wisconsin People Conference and the Take Back America program assisted with a member mail, phone and email program. AFSCME International’s Polling Center did ID calls for the support committee.

The AFL-CIO also helped by contacting all union households in the county with a positive message.

The result was a smashing victory. Despite the tough economy in one of Wisconsin’s poorer counties, 2,486 voted in favor of supporting the home and 577 voted against.

Turnout was nearly 25% of eligible voters, a remarkably high figure for a one-issue special election held on a Thursday instead of a typical Tuesday election day.

As a result, the Lafayette County Board will now be allowed to exceed the state-imposed levy limit and increase the levy for the next three fiscal years, 2010 through 2012, by up to $500,000 per year for operation of the home.

A no vote would have forced the county to do some serious budget slashing of county operations or sell or close Lafayette Manor.

Council 40 represents approximately 100 members of Local 115 at the home.

Council 40 Executive Director Rick Badger credited Local 115 members for working hard knocking on doors, calling likely voters and raising money to help support the local citizens group.

“Thank you all the people who worked so hard and gave so generously of their time,” Badger said. 

“This was an inspiring effort. In each of these five counties our members really pulled together and worked hard.

"To win three out of five special elections in this economy is really special. It shows that most citizens really do value quality public services and are willing to stand up and support these services when they are asked,” Badger said.