Last updated: October 2026
The Price County Board of Supervisors passed four resolutions on Sept. 15, including short-term borrowing to cover 2027 road construction and a resolution urging the state to sustain funding for local public health departments.
Quick Answer: At its Sept. 15, 2026 meeting, the Price County Board approved a transfer to the Capital Improvement Fund, authorized up to $3.1 million in short-term debt for 2027 Highway Department road construction, adopted the 2028-2030 Highway Department Facilities Improvement Program, and passed a resolution supporting sustainable state funding for local public health departments. Each passed 12-0. The board also received the 2027 budget presentation, which proposed a 5.23% levy increase.
All four votes were unanimous. The road borrowing carries a fiscal impact of $3,134,875, which lands in the 2028 budget.
What did the board approve for roads?
The largest item was Resolution 22-26, authorizing the county to borrow against future revenue to pay for 2027 road construction now.
The borrowing is capped at $3.1 million. The resolution states the Executive Committee identified the need to finance a portion of the 2027 Highway Department Road Construction Projects to a potential extent of $3.1 million, and directs that the debt payment be built into the 2028 county budget.
What the borrowing costs
A supervisor challenged the interest during discussion. “Just on that $3.1 million, $36,000 in interest,” he said. “What could we do with $36,000?”
He noted the county has little room to maneuver under the state’s levy limits, which is why road work gets financed with debt rather than through the levy. “When you’re talking to your legislators,” he told the board, “don’t take, well, that’s the way the system works.”
The resolution passed 12-0.
What else passed?
Three more items moved without dissent.
Resolution 21-26 transferred funds into the Capital Improvement Fund. Passed 12-0.
Resolution 24-26 adopted the Price County Highway Department 2028-2030 Facilities Improvement Program. Passed 12-0.
Resolution 25-26 supports sustainable state funding for local public health departments. It originated with the Health and Human Services Board, where it was introduced as Resolution No. 7. Passed 12-0.
What did the budget presentation show?
The board received the 2027 budget proposal, which was still being refined at that point.
The levy was proposed at $14,275,000, up from $13,565,000 the prior year, an increase of $709,594. The operational increase was 0.53%. The debt levy increase was 4.56%, producing a total levy increase of 5.23%.
Equalized value rose 5.29%, which is the figure that determines the mill rate. The 2026 mill rate was $5.43. The proposed 2027 rate was $5.42, a slight decrease, because property values grew faster than the levy.
The board adopted the final budget at its Oct. 13 meeting.
Who else was at the meeting?
The board introduced a new county employee. Christy Kosterman joined Behavioral Health, filling one of two open positions in that unit.
A supervisor noted the county still has the other position to fill.
A dispatch center grant
The county also reported matching a grant for the PSAP, the county’s dispatch center. The county’s share was $46,000, against roughly $200,000 in grant funding for the upgrade.
Why the public health resolution matters
Resolution 25-26 is the one with the longest reach. It asks the state to sustain funding for local public health departments, which in Price County means the unit that runs immunizations, communicable disease response, and the health officer function.
It passed without discussion recorded in the transcript, but it aligns the county with a broader push by Wisconsin counties facing flat state aid against rising costs. The same board approved a levy increase two-tenths of a point above the prior year’s state cap by using debt to stay under it.
The two items are the same argument in different clothes: the county is paying for services with borrowed money because the levy won’t stretch.
What happens next
The 2027 road program moves to engineering and bidding, with debt service landing in the 2028 budget. The facilities program covers 2028 through 2030, so design work on those projects begins against a three-year horizon.
The public health resolution goes to the state as an expression of county position. It does not bind anyone.
Price County has tracked its road and bridge funding closely this year, from the Highway and Transportation Committee’s road repair and bridge funding debate to how the county board structures its meetings. This meeting put the borrowing question on the record.
Weather and road budgets both shape what happens here.
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See also: our guide to Price County public records
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FAQ
How much did Price County borrow for roads?
Up to $3.1 million in short-term debt for 2027 Highway Department road construction, approved by Resolution 22-26 on Sept. 15, 2026. The fiscal impact is $3,134,875, with debt payment included in the 2028 budget.
What was the 2027 levy increase?
The proposal presented Sept. 15 set the levy at $14,275,000, up $709,594 from $13,565,000, a 5.23% total increase. The board adopted the final budget Oct. 13.
Did the mill rate go up?
No. The 2026 mill rate was $5.43 and the proposed 2027 rate was $5.42, slightly lower, because equalized value rose 5.29%.
What was Resolution 25-26 about?
It supports sustainable state funding for local public health departments. It originated with the Health and Human Services Board and passed 12-0.
Sources
- Price County WI Government — Board of Supervisors Meeting, Sept. 15, 2026 (video)
- Price County Fun — Board passes 2027 budget with 5.23% levy bump (Oct. 14, 2026)
- Price County Fun — How the Price County Board Works