Prairie Home Cemetery commission approves 2026 price increases

The Waukesha City Cemetery Commission voted unanimously Dec. 8 to adopt a package of price increases for Prairie Home Cemetery that the cemetery director said are needed to keep pace with rising wage, benefit and supply costs.

Cemetery Director Karen presented the proposed 2026 pricing schedule and said the plan reflects “raising wages, benefits, insurance costs, as well as increasing costs of our supplies and services.” She told the commission the city’s general-fund contribution to the cemetery has historically been $888,661 and that the cemetery budget is likely to be affected as citywide financial pressures grow.

The proposal recommends percentage increases by category, including a 10% increase for many property-rights items (graves, niches and crypts), a 10% increase for interment fees, 5% for foundations, 2% for inscriptions, 10% for bronze items and a 25% increase for zinc ground bases (an accessory whose replacement cost has risen sharply). Karen said the commission has not consistently adjusted accessory and bronze fees in past years and presented the increases to align fees with current costs.

Commissioners asked for clarification about the “second and third right” — a charge levied when additional cremated remains are interred in an existing grave. Karen explained the cemetery allows one full-body casket plus cremains and described the second-right fee change from $2.25 to $4.50 as the recommended adjustment. Commissioners noted that some cemeteries set second-right fees as a share of the full grave price; Karen said the proposed amount would be roughly 25% in the example given.

After the presentation and discussion, a motion to accept the proposed 2026 price changes for Prairie Home Cemetery was moved and seconded; the chair called the question and the motion passed unanimously. The meeting minutes record the motion as moved by Don and seconded by Rico, with all present voting in favor.

The commission’s approval means the cemetery will implement the new fee schedule in 2026 to help offset higher operating costs and potential cuts in city contributions. The director said staff checked local comparables (she cited Saint Joe’s graves in the $2,000–$3,000 range) and concluded Prairie Home Cemetery’s updated rates will remain competitive in the local market.

The commission did not adopt any other changes to operating policy at the Dec. 8 meeting. The commission set its next meeting for Feb. 9, 2026.