1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
GPR $254,500
PR 82,800
Total $337,300
Governor: Adjust the base budget for: (a) full funding of continuing salaries and fringe benefits ($1,000 GPR and $22,100 PR annually); (b) full funding of financial services charges ($2,100 GPR and $1,500 PR annually); (c) reclassifications ($23,400 GPR and $3,100 PR annually); (d) overtime ($68,400 GPR and $10,000 PR annually); (e) night and weekend differential ($7,300 GPR annually); and (f) fifth week of vacation as cash ($24,400 GPR and $3,500 PR in 1999-00 and $25,700 GPR and $5,900 PR in 2000-01).
2. DEBT SERVICE REESTIMATE
GPR - $112,400
Governor: Reestimate debt service costs by $41,700 in 1999-00 and -$154,100 in 2000-01 from the base level of $978,900.
3. ELIMINATION OF BOARD DUTIES AND FUNDING
GPR - $50,000
Governor: Provide that if the Secretary of the Department of Administration (DOA) would determine that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the transfer of all broadcasting licenses held by the ECB and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents to the proposed nonstock Educational Broadcasting Corporation, on and after the effective date of the last license transferred, the ECB would be eliminated as follows:
a. The current law board composition, duties, powers and appropriations of the ECB would not apply, including authority regarding the executive director position and unclassified professional staff positions;
b. The nonstock corporation, which under current law is for the exclusive purpose of raising funds for the ECB to support the activities of the Board, would be eliminated;
c. The unencumbered balances of certain ECB appropriations would be transferred to the appropriation that would be created for the proposed Corporation's operational costs. Under the bill, the total amount provided for the eleven designated appropriations is $6,197,100 GPR, $6,853,400 PR and $471,800 FED in 1999-00 and $6,198,400 GPR, $6,855,800 PR and $471,800 FED in 2000-01; and
d. The remaining authority to contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $8,354,100 for educational communications facilities would be transferred to DOA.
Delete $25,000 annually in 1999-01 from the agency's general program operations; according to the Executive Budget documents, this funding would eliminated for the purpose of providing funding for the initial costs of the proposed Corporation.
Under current law, the major ECB duties include responsibilities to: (a) plan, construct and develop a state system of radio broadcasting for the presentation of educational, informational and public service programs; (b) protect the public interest in educational television by preserving educational television channels for Wisconsin and maintaining a comprehensive plan for the operation of a statewide television system for the presentation of noncommercial instructional programs which will serve the best interests of the people of the state; (c) work with educational agencies and institutions of the state as reviewer, adviser and coordinator of joint efforts to meet the educational needs of the state through radio, television and other appropriate technologies; (d) coordinate the radio activities of the various educational and informational agencies, civic groups, and citizens having contributions to make to the public interest and welfare; (e) procure or publish instructional material related to educational broadcasting; (f) give priority to and develop instructional television programs that are specific to the state for use in schools; and (g) enter into affiliation agreements with the UW Board of Regents and other broadcast radio and television licensees for the purpose of furthering certain duties of ECB.
See "Educational Broadcasting Corporation" for more information
[Bill Sections: 14, 38, 39, 229 thru 241, 641, 647, 648, 905, 906, 930, 2360, 2362, 2364, 2366, 2367 and 9101(8)]
ELECTIONS BOARD
Budget Change Items
1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
GPR $135,700
PR - 20,800
Total $114,900
Governor: Provide adjustments totaling $67,400 GPR and -$10,400 PR in 1999-00 and $68,300 GPR and -$10,400 PR in 2000-01 for: (a) removal of non-continuing elements from the base (-$10,400 PR annually); (b) full funding of salary and fringe benefit costs ($52,000 GPR annually); (c) full funding of financial services charges ($300 GPR annually); (d) reclassifications ($9,900 GPR annually); (e) fifth week of vacation as cash ($3,900 GPR in 1999-00 and $4,800 GPR in 2000-01); and (f) full funding of lease costs ($1,300 GPR annually).
2. INCREASED FUNDING FOR WECF
GPR $750,000
Governor: Provide $750,000 GPR in 2000-01 to be transferred on September 1, 2000, to the legislative campaign account of Wisconsin Election Campaign Fund (WECF). A new GPR appropriation would be created for this purpose. Currently, legislative candidates, as well as candidates for statewide offices, are eligible for grants from the WECF, which is funded by monies directed through a $1 taxpayer designation on state individual income tax returns ($2 for joint returns) to the WECF.
[Bill Sections: 589 and 706]
3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTUAL STAFF
GPR $62,400
Governor: Provide $31,200 GPR annually to fund a computer programming support contract for the Elections Board information system software which includes allowing the filing of campaign finance reports in an electronic format. The request assumes the purchase of 520 hours of contract programming support annually at $60 per hour for technical support in the event of software failures and for future software design and access issues. Current law requires any registrant who accepts contributions or makes distributions of $20,000, or more, during a campaign period to file required campaign finance reports in an electronic format after June 30, 1999.
4. DRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS: LEGISLATION FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Governor: Create session law language, to be retroactively effective on February 28, 1999, requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau to prepare draft legislation relating to campaign finance reform and the composition of the state Elections Board. DOA would be required to submit final instructions for drafting of this legislation no later than March 1, 1999, and the Secretary of DOA would be required to submit the proposed legislation to the Co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Finance no later than April 1, 1999. (The date requirements in this language will have passed before the budget bill itself becomes law.)
[Bill Sections: 9158(6) and 9414(1)]
EMPLOYE TRUST FUNDS
Budget Change Items
1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
Funding Positions
SEG $20,900 - 3.00
Governor: Provide $7,800 in 1999-00 and $13,100 in 2000-01 and -3.0 positions for standard budget adjustments for: (a) turnover reduction (-$192,400 annually); (b) removal of noncontinuing elements from the base (-$247,200 and -3.0 positions annually) (c) full funding of continuing salaries and fringe benefits ($238,500 annually); (d) full funding of financial services charges ($118,100 annually); (e) overtime ($45,900 annually); and (f) fifth week of vacation as cash ($44,900 in 1999-00 and $50,200 in 2000-01).
2. RETIRED EMPLOYES BENEFIT SUPPLEMENT REESTIMATE
GPR - $3,554,600
Governor: Reduce the base level funding estimate for benefit supplements for retirees who first began receiving annuities prior to October 1, 1974, by $1,306,900 in 1999-00 and $2,247,700 in 2000-01. These supplements were authorized primarily by Chapter 337, Laws of 1973, and 1983 Wisconsin Act 394, as further affected by the 1997 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on the special investment performance dividend lawsuit. The reestimate is due to a declining number of retirees eligible for these supplements due to deaths. Current base level funding for the appropriation is $6,810,500.
3. ANNUITY PAYMENT SYSTEM REDESIGN
Funding Positions
SEG $805,600 2.50
Governor: Provide $370,400 in 1999-00 and $435,200 in 2000-01 and authorize 2.5 two-year project positions to enable ETF to redesign its current Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) annuity payment system. The system generates monthly retirement checks, computes withholding and deduction amounts and compiles year-end tax payment reports. The purpose of the redesign would be to: (a) enhance on-line access through ETF's participant data (WEBS) to annuity payment data; (b) improve data maintenance and updating capabilities; and (c) integrate these annuity payment functions into both the agency’s electronic image and workflow system and its interactive voice response (IVR) system. The recommended funding would be used as follows: (a) one-time financing of $296,400 in 1999-00 and $336,500 in 2000-01 for contract programming assistance; and (b) $74,000 in 1999-00 and $98,700 in 2000-01 for salary, fringe benefit and support costs for the 2.5 project positions to support reassignment of in-house permanent staff to assist in project analysis, design and development activities. Existing IT staff would also be assigned to the project to assist in IT analysis and programming activities. This recommendation represents phase 1 (design, construction and testing of the new annuity payment system) of the project. Funding for phase 2 (conversion and final implementation) would be requested in the next biennium.
4. CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL CENTER
Funding Positions
SEG $773,900 2.00
Governor: Provide $584,100 in 1999-00 and $189,800 in 2000-01 and authorize 1.0 two-year project position, 2.0 one-year project positions (1999-00 only) and 1.0 permanent position for enhancements in the agency's ability to handle WRS participant and employer inquiries for the establishment of a customer service call center. (The Executive Budget Book references all the positions as being project positions.)
The proposed center would be designed to ultimately provide a single telecommunications unit within ETF to address the customer (WRS participants or employers) service inquiry requirements of the both the member services and employer administration bureaus within ETF. As a part of this proposal, ETF would internally reallocate 6.0 staff (five trust funds specialists and one trust funds supervisor) to this new center, in addition to the recommended additional staff. In addition to having staff dedicated solely to call center duties, the proposed center would have enhanced hardware and software for the handling of customer inquiries, including: (a) an automated call center server which would automatically route calls to appropriate accessible data bases or networks; (b) enhancements to ETF's existing IVR (interactive voice response) phone system; and (c) computer software which would serve to further automate the inquiry response process in the center. The goal of the call center would be to develop the capability to respond to 85% of WRS participants' and employers' telephone inquiries within two minutes by fiscal year 2000-01.
The recommended funding would be for: (a) one-time funding for enhancements to the agency’s existing integrated voice response system, a new call center server and associated software purchases ($365,500 in 1999-00); (b) one-time funding for contractor assistance for installation of the new system ($80,000 annually); (c) agency administrative and staff expenses ($104,900 in 1999-00 and $70,500 in 2000-01); and (d) on-going maintenance and software licensing costs ($33,700 in 1999-00 and $39,300 in 2000-01). This funding would be for the first two phases of a proposed three phase implementation. Funds for phase three would be requested in the next biennium.
5. CREDITABLE SERVICE PROJECT
Funding Positions
SEG $210,000 3.00
Governor: Provide $105,000 annually and authorize the extension of 3.0 project positions for an additional two-year period to continue project staff resources for an on-going, court-ordered review of certain active participant and annuitant accounts. ETF is in the process of reviewing an estimated 37,000 files of certain active and retired teachers who may be entitled to additional years of creditable service as a result of two recent Wisconsin courts (Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Dane County Circuit Court) rulings. These decisions found that ETF had incorrectly calculated the amount of service credits granted to certain school teacher participants who had originally been members of the former State Teachers Retirement System between July 1, 1957, and September 1, 1965, but had separated from service and withdrawn their retirement contributions and then later had returned to covered service. Under the court rulings, all affected annuitants who have retired since December 13, 1984, as well as all active participants who had service during the relevant time period, must have their creditable service calculations reviewed for possible correction. ETF was provided with 3.0 two-year project positions during the 1997-99 biennium to begin these reviews. Due to delays, ETF estimates that only some 4,500 potentially affected files will have been reviewed by June 30, 1999.
6. DUTY DISABILITY WORKLOAD
Funding Positions
SEG $121,100 2.00
Governor: Provide $51,900 in 1999-00 and $69,200 in 2000-01 and authorize 1.0 permanent position and 1.0 two-year project position for staff resources to continue ETF’s review of s. 40.65 duty disability benefit determinations and to meet expected workload increases in the duty disability program. A recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling required the establishment of new procedures for determining the amount of duty disability benefits. A portion of the funding ($25,900 in 1999-00 and $34,600 in 2000-01) and the project position would be used to complete the agency’s review of 670 existing duty disability benefit files. In June, 1998, the Joint Committee on Finance provided 2.0 one-year project positions to address backlog in current s. 40.65, duty disability benefit file reviews. The agency expects to have about half of these files reviewed by June 30, 1999. The remaining funding ($26,000 in 1999-00 and $34,600 in 2000-01) and the new permanent position would be used to address a growing workload of duty disability and disability benefit requests from protective and nonprotective WRS participants, respectively.
