Initial county budget proposal shows slight tax increase

The Trempealeau County Executive Finance Committee got its first look at the proposed 2026 county budget, showing a slight increase in the mill rate.

The budget presentation by county Administrator Rebecca Glewen included a proposed mill rate of $5.22 per $1,000 in equalized property valuation, up from $5.12 last year. She said the increase is due mostly to debt obligations from the construction of the justice center and the rehabilitation of the older portion of the county government building. The increase would be $19.67 per year for the owner of a $200,000 property.

The 2026 budget includes a 2% pay raise for county employees, but Glewen said that positions that are paid below market rate would receive a bump to get them on par with their peers from other counties. County employees received a 6% raise in the 2025 budget, but were not given a raise in 2024. 

Glewen provided supervisors with a graph showing that county employees have received a 19.75% increase since 2020, lower than the 23.8% Consumer Price Index increases. She said the county has been able to manage insurance costs, which help make up that difference. 

The budget also proposed the addition of a few positions, including hiring a finance director with an estimated cost of $140,000.

“I think it is really important. Government is a large business that needs an administrator to move the large organization to stay on track and provide guidance and oversight. But I also believe that with a $100 million budget, we should have an individual who oversees that specifically,” Glewen said. 

Glewen said “most counties” have taken the handling of finances out of the clerk’s office “because that is an elected position.” 

“You would have a finance director who is qualified and oversees your budget annually,” Glewen said. “Right now, we are doing it through contracted services, but I do believe there is room for improvement and savings yet, even with bringing on an additional person.” 

Supervisor Robert Baecker questioned the math on the county’s budget, saying $40 million of that comes from the Trempealeau County Healthcare Center, which manages its own budget.

“It’s not a true statement to say we have a $100 million budget,” Baecker said. “We have $60 million, and they take care of themselves. I just want to clarify so we’re truthful with everybody.”

Glewen also proposed adding an assistant corporation counsel at $60,000, a jail programming officer at $77,119, a crisis social worker at $30,000 and a paralegal for the district attorney’s office at $83,995. 

The proposal did not include adding a human resource director, which is a position county board members have suggested in the past. Glewen said she hopes a new software system will help free up more time within her office to continue to handle those duties. 

Glewen said there has been an 11% increase in health insurance premiums, which will translate to an $18.57 monthly increase for employees enrolled in single plans and a $46.30 increase for family plans. The county administrator said she has spoken to colleagues in other counties who have a self-funded insurance model and “are not seeing that type of rise.” 

Because the presentation was an initial look at the budget, no action was taken. County board members won’t officially approve the budget until November. 

“I think the report you’ve given us is maybe the most concise we’ve had in many years,” Supervisor Bridgette Turner said.