Price County Executive Committee Approves Radio System Study, Moves to Unwind Bug Tussel Partnership
Last updated: September 2026
PHILLIPS — The Price County Executive Committee advanced plans to study a countywide public safety radio system upgrade and moved toward unwinding its troubled broadband partnership with Bug Tussel during an August 13 meeting that also covered fairgrounds improvements, a website redesign, cybersecurity investments, and early 2027 budget challenges.
Committee Chair Brian Ernst was absent; the meeting was presided over by the vice chair. Committee members present included Michelle Dropnick, Paula Hodeck, Larry Polychak, and Jordan Spasic, who participated online.
Bug Tussel Partnership Being Unwound
County Administrator Nick reported that Price County is working to legally unwind its partnership with Bug Tussel, the broadband company the county had partnered with to expand internet access using the county’s name on bond financing.
“We are exploring an option where we would get out of the project,” Nick said. The legal process, known as closing the project, would involve unwinding the partnership with input from both sides’ legal counsel.
The county has approximately $90,000 in a Bug Tussel fund — money received for allowing the company to use the county’s name on bonds. No funds can be released without the county administrator’s signature, and the county has told Bug Tussel not to undertake any work in Price County.
If the project is closed, the $15 million bond would be settled with all remaining funds and any accrued interest returned. Bug Tussel could return to the county board with a new plan in the future, but the county is proceeding with an exit strategy.
The administrator acknowledged that the partnership has been a setback for the county’s broadband goals. “We could have been a lot farther down the road if we would have just taken it out on our own,” he said.
Committee member Larry Polychak expressed frustration with the company. “I feel like we’re just being dragged through the weeds by one leg by Bug Tussel,” he said. “We’re really in hurt for our emergency radio system.”
Nick noted that a 16-county group working with Bug Tussel outside of Price County’s project has experienced similar communication and delivery problems. Committee member Michelle Dropnick reported that Jim Metz from Taylor County had recently expressed dissatisfaction with Bug Tussel at a workshop in Wisconsin Rapids.
The loss of Bug Tussel towers means the county will need to work with its existing towers or upgrade them for the upcoming radio system project, potentially increasing costs. Nick cited another county that saved approximately 40% on a $9 million radio project by leveraging partner towers.
Radio System Study Approved
The committee recommended approval of a resolution to hire TUSA Consulting, a Missouri-based public safety communications engineering firm, for Phase 1 of a countywide radio system study at a cost not to exceed $55,000.
The county issued a request for proposals and received interest from four companies, narrowing the field to three for interviews. The interview committee included the county board chair, Sheriff Brian Schmidt, Chief Deputy Robert Hahn, and the county administrator.
TUSA’s Phase 1 work will involve an on-site assessment of all current radio infrastructure, interviews with stakeholders, and a report presenting the county with options ranging from a comprehensive upgrade to a phased approach. The study is expected to be completed in time for implementation in late 2027 with a go-live target of 2028.
Phase 2 — writing the actual RFP for equipment and vendors — is estimated at $45,000 to $60,000. Phase 3, covering installation oversight and training, would cost between 1% and 5% of the total project cost. The total radio system upgrade is estimated at $1 million to $4 million depending on the options chosen.
Funding for Phase 1 will come from the Bug Tussel fund (Fund 105), which was established with money the county received through the broadband partnership. The committee recommended using those funds rather than capital improvement funding or adding to the tax levy.
Nick emphasized that the radio system does not represent an immediate emergency. “End of life” designations on current equipment mean the manufacturer has stopped making the product, not that service will be cut off. The county needs a three-, five-, and ten-year plan rather than an immediate replacement.
Fair Board Requests Increased County Funding
Representatives of Price County Productions and the fair board presented an update on $265,000 in improvements made to the county fairgrounds since the nonprofit took over operations, and requested an increase to the county’s annual $20,000 stipend.
Darrin Bratka, a fair board member representing Price County Productions, outlined the investments: a $95,000 bleacher addition, $100,000 in dairy barn improvements including a completed roof, $15,000 in new cyclone fencing, $25,000 in building leveling and foundation work, $25,000 for Wi-Fi and computer system upgrades, and $30,000 in general repairs including bathroom renovations and new camping pedestals.
Alexis Shinobak, president of Price County Productions, reported that the fair’s annual budget runs approximately $100,000, with $20,000 from the county, $20,000 in sponsorships, and roughly $60,000 in gate revenue. The fair board is adding a second night of dirt dash car racing for the upcoming fair, after Saturday attendance last year exceeded parking capacity.
Amber, a fair board member, noted that the board is working to reach underserved areas of the county and that exhibit participation is growing, with barns at full capacity. Youth livestock entries have increased enough that pens are being subdivided to accommodate animals.
The committee deferred a funding decision to the budget process. The county’s annual budget review typically occurs over the next three months, with public hearings in November and final adoption by the end of November.
Website Redesign and ADA Compliance
County staff Laura and Jules presented an update on the county website redesign, which is estimated to go live in November. The redesign is included in the county’s existing four-year contract with its website host at no additional cost.
Key changes include a streamlined navigation menu, a relocated search bar, updated photography, and improved departmental organization. The most visited page on the current county website is the inmate list, which was briefly overtaken by the elections page during the August primary.
The more significant cost lies in ADA compliance for PDF documents hosted on the website. Staff estimated $10,000 to $15,000 for software to convert documents, with a target compliance deadline in late 2027. The county plans to limit online document retention to state statutory minimums and remove outdated files rather than converting everything, while retaining full records available through public records requests.
Cybersecurity improvements include removing direct email addresses from the website to prevent scraping by automated tools, replacing them with contact forms.
Cybersecurity: Cloud Backup for Land Records
Register of Deeds Sylvia presented a proposal to move the county’s land record system to a cloud-based service called Bastion, offered by Fidlar Technologies. The move would allow the register of deeds office to resume operations within hours of a cyberattack rather than weeks or months.
The county houses over 413,000 permanent land records dating back to March 1879, when Price County was established. Sylvia cited nine Wisconsin counties crippled by cyberattacks in the last four years, with some still not fully operational after a year or more.
The upfront cost is $5,000, with an annual maintenance cost of approximately $10,000. The county’s IT director supported the move, noting it would reduce liability and free IT resources to focus on critical systems like 911 dispatch during a recovery scenario. The net annual cost to the county is estimated at $2,500 to $3,000 after accounting for server maintenance savings. The cost has been included in the register of deeds’ 2027 budget request.
2027 Budget Challenges
The county is facing a budget gap of approximately $500,000 above the state’s allowable levy limit for 2027, before accounting for any new positions. A 2% wage increase has been built into the draft budget as a starting point.
IT costs are the primary driver of budget pressure. A 10-year radio maintenance contract that cost $36,000 annually is expiring, with market rates now at $78,000. Server costs have doubled from $100,000 to $200,000 per year.
The county is exploring a statutory option to move approximately $400,000 in insurance costs from operational expenses to debt service, which is not subject to the same levy caps. However, debt service requires annual three-fourths board approval.
The highway department has submitted a $500,000 yellow equipment fund request. The administrator suggested potentially spreading that cost over three years to avoid a single-year increase.
Sales tax collections are up 5% year over year, with $534,391 collected through May compared to $508,000 in the prior year. Health insurance costs are running approximately $160,000 favorable to budget, aided by cost-containment programs including a tailored family clinic and a Health 360 price-transparency tool that has saved an estimated $50,000 year to date.
Cash on hand stands at $13.8 million, down $800,000 from the prior year, reflecting the ongoing spend-down of ARPA funds and project disbursements.
Other Business
The committee approved an amended resolution for the Cranberry Creek Dam project, with total estimated costs increasing from $34,000 to $67,524. The cost increase was driven by price escalation and $14,000 in additional engineering work required after a culvert size discrepancy. The county and state will each share $33,762 of the cost, with the county’s portion coming from its capital improvement fund.
Three bridge and culvert aid requests were approved for the towns of Fifield ($12,000), Hill, and Prentice.
County Clerk Paula Hodeck reported a 49% voter turnout for the August 11 partisan primary, with results finalized by 10:30 p.m. Canvassing was scheduled for August 17.
Treasurer Renee reported that the county will lose Georgetown but gain Eisenstein for municipal tax collection in 2026. A kickoff meeting for TTech, the county’s new tax software, is scheduled for late September. The county has 16 properties scheduled for in-rem court proceedings, down from 73 at the start of the process, with an auction targeted for October.
The next Executive Committee meeting was scheduled for September 10.
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See also: our guide to Price County public records
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