Manitowoc County Board Meeting - 10/6/26

At its October 6, 2026 meeting, the Manitowoc County Board heard County Executive Tyler Martell present his proposed 2027 budget; the board did not vote on the budget. The proposal calls for a $35,835,147.87 property-tax levy, with an estimated 3.9% increase in the county portion of a typical tax bill, and aims to balance the budget without one-time funding transfers. It includes a $1 million Human Services Stabilization Fund, an estimated $700,000 cost for a 6% increase in health-insurance contributions, and employee wage increases totaling 2%, subject to performance reviews. The executive also proposed a network engineer position and a shared-cost school resource officer position with Reedsville.

For infrastructure, the proposal includes $2.4 million in borrowing for road projects—less than the prior year—and seeks $250,000 in revenue by having the Highway Department perform work for towns and villages. The executive said the county would continue its 17-year highway-maintenance rotation while reducing borrowing and paying down more debt than it takes on. The board also reviewed the budget process: oversight committees were advised to submit any amendments to the Finance Committee by October 26, ahead of the scheduled November 5 board consideration and the November 15 adoption deadline. These were proposed budget items and process guidance, not contract awards or purchasing approvals.