Rising costs continue to impact county budget

The Ozaukee County tax levy would go up 2.5%, or about $574,000, in 2026, according to the proposed budget County Administrator Jason Dzwinel was scheduled to present to the County Board Wednesday.

Under the proposed recommended budget, the 2026 county property tax levy would be $24.17 million compared to a 2025 tax levy of $23.6 million.

Dzwinel’s recommended budget will be reviewed by the various county committees and then go to the Executive Committee, comprised of the standing committees’ chairmen, to make the final recommendation for the County Board to vote on in November.

Working to the county’s advantage this year, Dzwinel said in a memo to the County Board, is that health insurance will go up just 4% compared to projections that expected a 10% increase. 

“This favorable outcome is particularly significant given that in 2024, claims exceeded premiums by 115%, creating concern about steep increases.,” Dzwinel said. “Stronger performance in 2025, averaging 93%, has eased renewal pressures.”

In addition, the county is exploring a lower-cost, higher-deductible health plan option for employees seeking lower monthly premiums, he said. That could result in more savings.

Dzwinel’s budget proposes a 3% cost-of-living increase for employees.

Dzwinel requests in his budget that no new positions be created and that “strict hiring limitations” be observed.

Last year’s budget process was the “most challenging” in decades, Dzwinel said at the time, due in large part to skyrocketing costs in the Health and Human Services Department.

Costs continue to rise there, Dzwinel said, but not as severely.

Human Services levy is projected to go up $509,000, with $450,000 due to wages and benefits. That’s compared to the 2025 levy increase of  $1.2 million. 

“Efforts to control high-cost placements

and increase billable activities have been successful in 2024-2025,” Dzwinel said.

The Sheriff’s Office’s levy increase under the budget is $592,000, a 3.7% increase, with most of it due to rising wages and benefits, although jail food has become more expensive, going up $65,000 over last year, he said.

“It costs a lot of money to run a jail,” Dzwinel told the Public Safety Committee on Tuesday while discussing his budget proposal.

The Sheriff’s Office makes up the largest share of the budget, with $16.7 million in levy for operations.

Sheriff Christy Knowles has requested adding two patrol deputies at a cost of $180,000, six jailers at a cost of $404,000, and one jail services deputy for $104,000. 

Those are not included in Dzwinel’s budget.

The number of dispatchers remains at 20 with another five positions approved but not funded.

Dzwinel also said $300,000 of the county’s general fund reserves, which totals $12 million, will be set aside to purchase new vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office.

Dzwinel’s budget does not include a sales tax revenue estimate for the year as he awaits projections from the Wisconsin Counties Association.

The county is on its way to another record year in sales tax revenue, already collecting more than $6 million through June. The 2025 budget calls for more than $12 million in sales taxes.

The Clerk of Courts operations levy will be reduced by $100,000 and Land and Water Management decreases its levy by $18,000 thanks to more state funding.

The Transit Department’s levy is unchanged due to a “significant” fund balance of $2 million.

The Lasata Senior Living Campus requires no levy support and will contribute $100,000 from its reserves to offset the overall  tax levy, the same as occurred in the 2025 budget.