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County administrator outlines 2026 budget plan; levy growth limited as equalized valuation rises
Summary
Barron County’s administrator presented the 2026 budget framework showing a 1.6% levy increase constrained by state levy limits, larger gains in equalized property valuation, a planned drawdown of fund balance to about 32%, and an added grant-funded sanitarian position through 2027.
The County Administrator presented the top-level elements of the proposed 2026 county budget and reviewed related state statute citations and funding documents.
Key points: The administrator said the proposed levy increase is 1.6% (allowed under Wisconsin levy limits), while county equalized valuation rose about 10.7% year-over-year. The presentation showed the county intends to draw general-fund unassigned fund balance down to approximately 32 percent of policy levels and to apply part of the sales-tax fund balance to reduce the levy. The administrator said the budget assumes a 3.763% increase in health-insurance costs and included contingency and vacancy-line adjustments for employee payouts and retirements.
Personnel and projects: The proposed budget adds a sanitarian II position in Health and Human Services; the administrator said that position is grant-funded through Dec. 31, 2027. The presentation also listed capital and debt-service items (waste-to-energy payments, dam maintenance, and forest revenue assumptions). The administrator said the county’s equalized valuation increase has been driven in part by rising property sales values and that the county will continue to monitor reassessment activity across townships.
Process and next steps: The administrator described state-mandated steps for publishing the proposed budget and noted that the executive committee will recommend a published budget and a later public hearing before the County Board can adopt the final budget. No final budget vote took place at the meeting; supervisors asked clarifying questions about specific revenue and expense lines during the presentation.
