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Vernon County Finance Committee frames preliminary 2026 budget, flags $500K human services increase
Summary
Committee members reviewed levy limits and revenue projections for 2026: net new construction added $171,000, shared revenue tied to sales tax rose $42,000, and an expected $500,000 increase in part of the Human Services budget was noted. Departments were asked to identify potential cuts.
The Vernon County Finance Committee on Sept. 16 reviewed preliminary figures for the 2026 budget that officials said will shape the county's levy decision this fall. Staff reported net new construction added about $171,000 to the tax base and shared revenue tied to sales tax will bring roughly $42,000 more than last year.
Committee members were told the SMRT bus service is likely to be discontinued, "which will free up $15,000," and that "there is an expected $500k increase in part of the Human Services budget." Cassie Hanan said she will return to department heads to seek cuts and emphasized that non-lapsing funds and discretionary spending would be reviewed first, though "staff reductions may also be considered." The committee did not adopt final levy figures at the meeting and directed staff to continue refining options.
The committee discussed compensation policy for 2026: a proposed 1% cost-of-living adjustment, 2% step increases for staff on step schedules, and an additional 0.5% for employees "in the range." The tentative approach leaves open trade-offs between personnel costs and services, and members asked staff to provide options reflecting different levy impacts ahead of next month’s meeting.
