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Rusk County finance committee reviews 2025 budget, levy and debt plans
Summary
Finance staff presented an unaudited 2025 budget summary showing a proposed tax rate of $5.46, a levy of $10,208,265, $6 million in general-obligation borrowing for highway projects and a $500,000 short-term borrowing for out-of-home placements; the committee discussed debt, fund balances and the blacktop plant.
Rusk County finance staff presented an unaudited summary of the county's 2025 budget, outlining a proposed tax rate of $5.46 and a proposed tax levy of $10,208,265. The presentation traced the levy increase primarily to a $6,000,000 general-obligation borrowing the county authorized in 2024 for highway projects and to higher projected expenditures in Health and Human Services (HHS) and the sheriff's office.
The report explained how Wisconsin's equalized value and net new construction figures feed into levy limits, and why certain items can be levied above the county's levy limit (debt service, bridge aid, libraries and ambulance service). Finance staff said allowable levy for 2025 (before items that go above levy) was roughly $8,933,627 and that the county used other revenues and fund balances to reach the proposed levy.
The committee discussed several budget specifics: a short-term borrowing of $500,000 that the finance committee approved to cover anticipated out-of-home placement costs (cited under Wisconsin Statutes §67.04(5)), a switch in health-insurance carriers that reduced premiums, an increase in the county's contribution toward employee premiums from 85% to 88%, and an approved longevity-based step increase for 2025. Finance staff reported the county budgeted a wages-and-benefits total of about $14.6 million and said the county employed 281 people at the time the budget was compiled (that number includes on-call, part-time and seasonal employees and is subject to change).
Debt and funds drew sustained discussion. The report said total bonded indebtedness at the end of 2024 was about $14,000,000 and that debt service rose from roughly $1.7 million to $2.9 million after the 2024 borrowing. Staff showed the legally allowed debt limit (5% of equalized value) and said current indebtedness represented about 15% of that limit. The highway's blacktop fund was highlighted: staff reported a negative closing balance of about $420,000 for the blacktop fund, and noted the county is using plant revenue to service bonded debt on the plant; the committee flagged the plant's negative balance as an item for follow-up.
Finance staff said budget amendments made after the November budget vote were not fully reflected in the presented packet and that the document contained unaudited figures. The committee was told that Baird (the county's financial advisor) would be asked to present bonding strategies in May if the board chooses to pursue additional borrowing for capital projects. Committee members agreed to keep monitoring fund balances, proposed bond strategies and personnel costs as the audit and bonding conversations continue.
The committee did not take a final county-board action on the overall budget during the meeting; staff said approved amendments and transfers would be tracked and reported at future meetings.
