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Door County adopts 2026 budget; health-insurance savings moved to communications tower
Summary
The Door County Board adopted the 2026 budget after approving an amendment that reduced the county's health-insurance premium share and redirected $763,585 of savings into the county's communications tower project. The final, amended budget passed on a recorded vote of 19 yes, 2 absent.
Door County's Board of Supervisors approved the county's 2026 budget on Nov. 12 after a late amendment that redirected savings from a lower-than-expected health-insurance premium increase to a communications tower project.
Ken, county administrator, presented the proposed budget and walked supervisors through levy and tax-rate calculations, department summaries and capital projects. He told the board the levy increased 2.77% from the prior year while the county's equalized value rose about 12.47%, which produced an estimated tax-rate decline of about 8.63%. "Our levy increased 2.77%," Ken said, and he noted the county is setting aside funds for major capital work including road improvements and a communications project.
Supervisor Todd Miller moved an amendment to reduce the county's budgeted share of health-insurance premium growth from the 16% figure in the proposed budget to 4.08% and to apply the resulting savings to the tower project. The motion detailed an increase of $763,585 to a capital outlay account for the tower and an offsetting decrease of $763,585 to the health-insurance expense account; the motion noted "this amendment results in no change to our overall tax levy." The amendment, moved by Supervisor Miller and seconded by Supervisor Gunlixson, carried by voice vote.
With the amendment attached, the board approved the amended resolution to adopt the 2026 budget and tax levy on a recorded vote of 19 yes and 2 absent. The adopted budget includes one new sheriff's deputy position (to improve jail security), ongoing funding for road maintenance, and continued funding for planned capital projects; the packet also shows an allocation of $13,000,000 from undesignated funds toward the county communications project, which staff said is currently estimated to cost in the ballpark of $28,000,000.
The board's action formalizes the county's spending and capital priorities for 2026; the chair noted the county's ability to adjust priorities in future years as projects evolve.
