The Pierce County Finance and Personnel Committee on Oct. 7 approved a property tax levy of $21,366,313 for the 2025 county budget after agreeing to $753,933 in cost reductions and revenue increases to comply with the state levy limit.

The committee’s action advanced the levy and budget to the Board of Supervisors for final action at its Oct. 22 meeting. The proposed levy includes four components: $17,256,364 for operations, $3,215,188 for debt service, $694,761 for county library and $200,000 for county aid bridges. The proposed levy is 1.1 percent above the 2024 levy of $21,117,419.

For individual property owners, County Administrative Coordinator Jason Matthys said the proposed 2025 levy amounts to an estimated $14 reduction per $100,000 assessed valuation in the county’s portion of property taxes.

In a memo to the committee, Matthys said proposed 2025 department budgets approved by standing committees exceeded the state operating levy limit of $17,256,364 by $753,933. Reasons he cited for the gap include a fall in new levy construction, increasing health insurance costs, addition of two new 911 dispatcher positions and closing of Health Sisters Health Systems hospitals in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire earlier this year.

The hospital closures “did no favors” for the region because the county must now transport individuals needing emergency mental health services to Wisconsin facilities that are farther away, increasing costs, Matthys said.

“Additional costs to Human Services continue to increase with out-of-home placements also contributing toward the $497,166 in additional tax levy needed,” the memo said.

To bring the levy in line with the state limit, he proposed $668,586 in cost cuts and $85,347 in revenue increases. The committee approved his proposed changes, with an amendment to substitute $8,025 in savings from reducing the leave liability appropriation for a salary freeze Matthis proposed for county administration.

“Jason, you should not be taking this hit,” Supervisor Michael Kahlow said in proposing the amendment.

Among Matthys’ proposed cost reductions were reducing new positions from five to three, by eliminating openings for an assistant corporation counsel and maintenance technician for total savings of $204,339.

Other cuts he proposed include a $65,377 reduction in the county’s contract with Securitas. Matthys said four companies have responded to the county’s request for proposals to replace and expand, under a 10-year maintenance contract, an integrated security system for county buildings, including replacement of surveillance cameras, door access controls and alarms with an integrated desktop alert system.

According to Matthys’ Aug. 5 memo to the committee, the county’s current security systems are “outdated and increasingly prone to malfunctions and vulnerabilities.”

Revenue increases include $32,347 in additional funds the state has distributed to local governments from the shared revenue program update that the Wisconsin Legislature approved in 2023.

In other action, the committee approved:

• Establishing a separate capital project fund for equipment and improvements. Currently, capital projects are folded into department budgets. Matthys said establishing the fund would allow for improved forecasting and planning of capital needs.
• Ending the emergency declaration for torrential rain and flooding. Emergency Management Director Christine McPherson said the onset of drier weather has made the declaration unnecessary. “We are quickly approaching a drought situation,” she said.