Sawyer County Board Approves 2026 Budget

The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors has approved the 2026 year budget. 

The budget includes the additional funding requested by the Sherman and Ruth Weiss Library and the Senior Resource Center. 

The original budget that was proposed did not include the additional funding for the library and senior center. But board member Tweed Shuman motioned to include the additional funding, which was then approved by the board with three opposed.

The budget as approved for the library now has $30,000 more and is at $245,000 in funding for next year. The Senior Resource center has about $10,000 more in funding, bringing the total to their initial request of almost $235,000.

County Administrator and Finance Director Mike Markgen says they’ve had to “tighten their belt” on the budget for this year.

Many staff members from the senior center attended, showing support for the center by sharing their experience and some reading letters from seniors that receive Meals from the Meals on Wheels program that the senior center provides.  Executive Director Joey Wenonah Johnson says the additional funding is vital to the meals on wheels program. 

“Our main focus and our need in our budget is Meals on Wheels. Our Title III money covers all of our other programs, Jodi’s programs, the healthy aging programs, they all are self-sufficient. All our other programs are self-sufficient. Our Meals on Wheels program is not self-sufficient.” says Johnson.

Markgren says that the additional funding for the senior center and library will come from the county’s fund balance. The change will also increase the levy by $30,000. The additional funding to the senior resource center does not affect the levy.