The Wisconsin Counties Association Conference comes to La Crosse
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – County officials from all around the Badger State are gathering in La Crosse for a conference that highlights issues across the state. First News at Nine's Dashal Mentzel has more.
Hundreds of county officials, as well as state speakers, are at the La Crosse Center for the 2024 Wisconsin Counties Association Annual Conference. According to WCA Board Chair Lance Pliml, the conference allows county officials to discuss issues affecting their respective areas. "It gives us an opportunity to address those issues that we deal with across the state. And those are similar in every county, whether it be childcare, housing, mental health, groundwater issues, court funding and the rest. And this, this group, this opportunity to bring thousands of people together to talk about how we address those issues in our individual counties."
Governor Tony Evers addressed the conference. He says that Wisconsin is able to move forward by signing many 'in-the-middle bills' because it is a purple state. "I think it's mainly, and I'll share with all of you, we have to get along in order to have a strong state. Being a purple state, there's advantages to that. I think it's absolutely crucial to the growth of our state."
Pliml says the conference allows county officials who normally are not able to talk to each other a chance to see what officials from other parts of the state think, "Some of these programs are extremely expensive. Court funding, for instance, or how do you deal with mental health issues? And there's a whole perspective that comes from the time that you have the opportunity to meet with those other officials from across the state, see how they do it, and whether it be Milwaukee County, Bayfield County, over here in La Crosse or on the other side of the state in Manitowoc County."
Pliml adds that talking to other officials face-to-face is key for counties to move in the right direction, "It's difficult oftentimes to have that networking capability to talk one on one and to address those issues. What do you do that electronically by Zoom meetings or in small meetings around the state? So, a couple of times a year this our annual conference being the biggest, we have the opportunity to bring everybody together and talk about those issues and see if we can't make some headway going forward."
In La Crosse, Dashal Mentzel First News at Nine.
The conference will continue tomorrow with workshops in the morning followed by a closing assembly at 10:30 where Republican candidate for Senate Eric Hovde and Senator Tammy Baldwin will speak.
