Sawyer County presents 2025 budget with modest levy rise and a proposed $2.75M communications-tower debt

Sawyer County staff on Monday presented a draft 2025 budget that would hold the county’s overall levy to a modest increase while advancing several capital projects and limited salary increases.

Mike, finance department, told the board the county’s net new construction is 1.32%, the highest level in about 15 years, and described the administration’s compensation proposal: "what we're proposing for salaries is a 2% on January 1 and a 1% on July 1 and also the steps of 1.25" while expanding salary steps beyond Step 11 to Step 15 to address employees at top steps.

The package includes an assumed 5% rise in health-insurance costs and continued conservative revenue assumptions after a weaker-than-expected September sales-tax settlement that was down in many counties. Staff said revenues were roughly at 80% of projections and department expenses were about 69% spent at the time of reporting, leaving an adjusted fund-balance draw projected at about $681,000 (down from a prior projection of $750,000).

On capital spending, the administration proposed smoothing debt issuance across years to limit mill-rate volatility. The presentation included a potential $2.75 million borrowing to build and equip county communications towers and microwave links; staff described the $2.75 million as an estimate for an option in the capital-improvement plan and said the county has not yet issued debt for the project. "We are keeping it to a 10-year issue which is probably more realistic for the life expectancy of the equipment," Mike said.

The capital-improvement summary showed a net CIP need of roughly $1.638 million after expected grant matches and asset sale proceeds; staff noted an $800,000 dam project that would be funded approximately 50/50 with the state (about $400,000 in state grant match and $400,000 county match, the latter drawn from the Resource Development Fund). The board asked staff to confirm the original resolution that created the Resource Development Fund and its allowable uses before final decisions on reallocated transfers.

The draft budget includes two requested new positions — an administrative support role for the sheriff’s office and a zoning technician — which together with some highway and CIP adjustments account for additional requests of roughly $664,000. Staff emphasized some outside-organization dollars are restricted or represent pass-through/state funds and therefore do not represent free county discretionary dollars.

Among outside funding requests discussed was Namakagan Transit’s proposal for $165,000 in operating support and $15,000 for capital. Staff noted that some transit balances include state-held pass-through funds and local-match requirements that limit the availability of that cash for discretionary reallocation.

The administration told supervisors they can amend the recommended budget; staff will recalculates figures to show the board’s preferred changes when requested. The board did not take final action at the meeting; staff said the recommended budget will be refined and returned for formal consideration.

What happens next: staff will clarify statutory authority for outside funding requests, finalize CIP and debt-timing assumptions, and return a formally published recommended budget to the board ahead of the board’s budget-adoption process.