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Staff outlines 2026 budget changes: health insurance up 11.36%, ambulance and trail purchases adjusted
Summary
Village staff reported updates to the draft 2026 budget: health insurance renewal will increase costs by 11.36%, previously budgeted capital projects were reallocated (including ambulance funding), the capital projects fund prior-year surplus used was reduced to $368,490, and the police union contract remains unsettled and therefore un
Village staff presented updates and clarifications to the proposed 2026 budget, reporting an 11.36% increase in health-insurance premiums and several capital-fund adjustments.
Eileen said the village had budgeted for roughly 11% and that the broker provided options for renewal; the 11.36% increase represents approximately $1,700 distributed across multiple funds and accounts, which staff said did not require an immediate levy adjustment. Staff noted some local employers in the Madison area had experienced much larger increases and that the village’s rate increase appears comparatively moderate.
Staff said they reduced the prior-year surplus allocation in the capital projects fund to $368,490 (previously projected at over $800,000) because several projects had shifted or grant outcomes were uncertain. About $93,000 of the remaining surplus was set aside for an ambulance purchase planned for 2026; staff said the ambulance budget line had moved to levy funding because the village’s borrowing capacity was limited after higher-than-anticipated costs for other fire/rescue vehicle purchases.
Other capital adjustments included funding a DPW pickup from alternate revenues and moving some fire-rescue purchases into the 2026 budget after cost increases delayed procurement. Staff noted the police-union contract was not settled and that the village could not fully finalize levy allocations until that matter was resolved. Eileen said the next step is publishing a public notice and holding a public hearing on Nov. 17.
Why it matters
The health-insurance increase and capital re-budgeting affect multiple funds and levy planning; the unsettled police contract remains the main outstanding variable for final levy calculations.
What’s next
Staff will publish the required public notice and hold the 2026 budget hearing on Nov. 17 and continue negotiating the police contract.
