Sawyer County adopts 2026 budget and $15.93 million levy after debate over senior services funding

Sawyer County supervisors voted to adopt the proposed 2026 county budget and a property tax levy of $15,925,777, approving the county's fee schedule, FTE counts and capital improvement plan after extended discussion about funding for the Senior Resource Center and short-term borrowing for capital projects.

The county finance director told the committee, "This is our third look at the 2026 budget," and said an updated interest calculation reduced estimated borrowing costs for the capital improvement program by about $3,000. The finance presentation showed the levy components and noted the communications upgrade as a major debt-driver.

Why it matters: the levy figure and budget set the county's spending plan that will be forwarded to the full county board and underpin departmental funding, contributions to outside nonprofits and short-term borrowing for infrastructure projects.

During discussion supervisors spent the most time on a request from the Senior Resource Center seeking roughly $9,000 in additional county support. Several supervisors said they supported the program's work but wanted clearer documentation of how county dollars would be used. "We're helping a nonprofit, but we have no control of where that money is being used," Supervisor Stacy Hessel said during the meeting. Other supervisors raised the risk of setting a precedent for one-time increases without eligibility criteria.

Supervisors proposed options including holding funding at current levels and asking the Senior Resource Center to implement eligibility criteria (a tiered subsidy for people who cannot afford the meal fee) and then return for reconsideration midyear. County finance staff said that if the library's funding or the Senior Resource Center's funding were changed, the levy would be affected.

The resolution adopted by the committee included the budget, FTE counts, the fee schedule, the capital improvement summary and the compensation plan (a 2% increase in January 2026 and 1% in July 2026 as shown in the proposed salary schedule). The committee approved the resolution after a motion recorded by the chair as "Motion by Stacy Hessel, second by Mark Hellwig." The motion carried.

The finance presentation also summarized five-year debt repayment forecasts and the county's fund-balance assumptions. The finance staff said the county has been conservative, budgeting fund-balance draws across future years and looking for additional revenue streams; they also reported plans to budget modest carbon-credit sales in later years but not significant revenue in 2026.

What comes next: the committee's approval advances the proposed 2026 budget and the stated levy to the full county board, which can modify the figures before final adoption. The senior services funding discussion will likely reappear as supervisors asked that the Senior Resource Center be invited to present eligibility criteria if the committee wants to reconsider funding midyear.