Winnebago County sign, November 4, 2021. PC: Fox 11 Online
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Winnebago County has its $238 million budget proposal in for 2026, and it’s a few weeks ahead of schedule.
“The more time we have, the better job we can do,” said Winnebago County District 3 Supervisor Walt Ulbricht.
The budget includes a small property tax increase which would account for $884,000. As of now, it does not include a new sales tax.
This budget proposal would still run a deficit, but it would decrease from $8.5 million to $7.2 million year-over-year.
“[I] think that’s a more responsible way to not increase the deficit and not rely on existing fund balance to fund our services,” said Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz.
The county would add 32 new positions, mostly in human services — specifically, social workers and homeless prevention specialists. Human services is the largest department at $59 million, followed by the sheriff’s department and highway department.
A big wild card is the former UW-Oshkosh at Fox Cities campus, which will cost the county about $800,000 annually to maintain and has only just begun generating revenue.
“It has potential to be a very exciting cultural destination,” said Ulbricht, whose district includes the campus.
The main question is when it can become that cultural destination.
“The Barlow [Planetarium] is generating revenue,” said Hintz. “I think it’ll be less than $800,000 once we get somebody managing the communication arts theater.”
The county is also looking to consolidate from its aging buildings, but that goal will take place beyond 2026.
“The challenge is, you probably need some up-front money to save money operationally in the long term,” said Hintz.
The county says the increases mostly stem from tariffs, rising labor costs and aging infrastructure. There’s also an increasing desire for the county to help alleviate the lack of housing in the county.
Public listening sessions continue over the next month, with final budget discussions taking place in the last week of October. The next listening session is Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
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