Waukesha County Executive Dan Finley offered the two-year University of Wisconsin campus in his district to the state of Wisconsin for $1, which would end a 40-year partnership between state and county.

While many may consider the decision flippant, Finley argues the contrary.

“He’s serious about it. This is not just a tongue-in-cheek deal,” Robert G. Thelen II, Waukesha County Board member, said.

The offer comes after a UW System suggestion to offer four-year degree programs at two-year campuses, like UW-Waukesha, in order to increase the number of bachelor’s degrees in the state. There are 13 two-year colleges in the UW System, all of which have been offered the plan.

According to Regent Brent Smith, co-chair of the committee heading the proposal to offer four-year degree programs in cooperation with the Board of Regents, the recommendation would allow for certain individuals to acquire four-year degrees under otherwise difficult circumstances.

“It’s just to allow in certain instances … in today’s world [that] you’ve got people who do not have that ability to go to a four-year university, and you shouldn’t penalize those families because they have a family or they’ve got a job,” Smith said.

Finley admits it is a way to increase the number of degrees, but it comes with a price for his county.

However, the proposal has the county executive itching, since Waukesha County pays for maintenance of the 80-acre UW-Waukesha campus and all of its buildings, while the state covers all academic costs.

The state budget covers all the costs of running the university. Finley argued the county is being forced to pay the price of a four-year university, a price the state should handle.

Additionally, UW-Waukesha is a multi-million-dollar commitment by the county, so Finley has offered it to the state for a buck.

“If the state wants to make a two-year into a four-year, they can do it, but just buy the campus from us,” Finley said. “It’s a win-win situation.”

Still, Smith said the UW System does not intend to turn the two-year campuses into four-year campuses.

“We’re trying to get some four-year degree holders from a two-year school. We’re not changing the four-years into two-years,” Smith said.

According to Smith, the increased cost is a misconception. The UW System has similar projects around the state, and there have not been significant raises in costs.

“The number of people we’re talking about is … not going [to be] a significant prospect,” Smith said. “We’re talking about a smaller number of students. I just don’t think we’re looking at a significant cost shift.”

Still, Finley doesn’t think county taxpayers should be responsible for funding a four-year college, nor should they be involved with higher education.

“What we do in counties is we plow snow and put bad guys in jails; we don’t do higher education. That’s best left to the state,” Finley said.