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Barron County board approves $2.5 million Sterling Bank loan, reviews 2025 budget and schedules more debate on $3.1M sally port
Summary
The Barron County Board approved a $2.5 million loan from Sterling Bank to restore fund balance and support capital projects, heard a detailed 2025 budget presentation showing a projected levy and mill rate, and scheduled further discussion on a $3.1 million Justice Center sally port project.
The Barron County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 21 approved borrowing $2,500,000 from Sterling Bank to restore county fund balance, cover prior communications upgrades and a Salley Port (Justice Center) study, and leave remaining funds for capital requests.
Chair opened the agenda item and said County staff negotiated a favorable rate; the motion to approve the loan (mover: Supervisor Gooslick; second: Supervisor Cook) passed by the three‑quarters threshold with 27 voting yes and 2 absent. The loan was described by staff as a way to put $2,000,000 back into the fund balance that had been applied to a communications upgrade and a sally port study, leaving roughly $500,000 for other capital requests that will be discussed at the Nov. 4 budget hearing.
Finance Director Jody reviewed the published 2025 budget document. The presentation included a general‑fund expenditure figure of $25,242,974 (a 3.42% increase from 2024) and described a countywide balanced budget of approximately $81.16 million in revenues. The projected net county property tax levy was shown near $22.64 million, producing a mill rate near 3.27. Jody said the county plans to apply about $2,000,000 in unassigned fund balance to the 2025 budget to smooth levy impact and to replenish capital funds after this year’s appropriations.
On fund balances, staff noted departmental carryovers of about $1,853,000 (grant carryovers, insurance dividends and other department‑specific balances), and that caps exist on selected funds (for example, DHHS and child‑support funds). Sales‑tax receipts were discussed as an offset to the levy; staff said excess sales tax collected in prior years is distributed over three years to stabilize the mill rate.
The board also discussed the Justice Center sally port: staff identified a $422,000 ground/engineering study and a construction estimate of roughly $3,100,000 for the secure sally port. Because the project is not funded in full in the recommended 2025 budget, supervisors agreed to hold additional discussion and to seek input from the architect and financial advisors; a special meeting on Nov. 12 was proposed to review plans and financing.
Next steps: a public hearing and final budget decisions are scheduled for Nov. 4 (public comment at 6:00 p.m.), and supervisors will revisit project‑level borrowing and capital requests in subsequent meetings.
