By Al Stanek
Walworth County Board Supervisor District 4
As previously reported in ‘The Banner,’ Walworth County residents will be able to comment on the county’s proposed budget for next year Thursday, October 30. The public hearing will start at 6 pm in the County Board Room of the County Administration Center at 100 W. Walworth Street in downtown Elkhorn. It will be preceded by an announcement of a new name and new features for the county’s shared ride taxi service to be held in the Administration Center parking lot at 5:30.
How property taxes are levied and collected is a little confusing. Each of several governmental units (School District, City, County, Technical College District) project the next year’s revenues and expenditures. Each unit of government then establishes a levy (tax rate or mill rate) needed to provide services which is applied against each $1,000 of property value. Your property’s “assessed value” times the total combined amount of the levies from all of the involved government units determines your tax bill.
Equally confusing is who you get your tax bill from and the options for when you make a payment. The city mails out annual tax bills. The first installment, which is paid to the city, is due by January 31. Some taxpayers choose to pay their entire bill at that time. Otherwise, the second installment, which is due by July 31 is paid to the county.
As the Walworth County Board Supervisor representing most of the City of Whitewater, I’d like to share some information about the county budget and how it compares with other Wisconsin counties. Supervisor Brian Holt represents the southeast portion of the city.
The WI Counties Association issues an annual “Green Book” comparing Wisconsin counties’ financial status and demographics. Walworth County is one of only three of Wisconsin’s 72 counties that have paid off all of their past debt according to the report. Units of government borrow money to build and maintain buildings and infrastructure.
Careful financial planning by past and present administrations and a fiscally conservative County Board have updated or replaced almost all of our county facilities, improved and maintained county roads, and the county has a multi-decade capital plan that hopefully will keep Walworth County debt free for several decades according to the ‘Walworth County Administrator’s 2026 Preliminary Budget Report.’
The “Green Book” estimates that the average county has debt obligations of $539 per county resident. With a county population of just over 100,000 that means that if Walworth County were an average county it would have nearly $54 million of debt. Obviously that debt is paid back over various time frames and at low “Municipal Bond” rates but, not having to ask its county taxpayers for money to pay off present and future debts makes for lower county tax rates.
Half of Wisconsin’s counties had a 2024 per capita county tax levy of more than $3.69 per thousand dollars of property values with the other half with a per capita levy of less than $3.69 according to the “Green Book” report. Walworth County’s 2024 levy was $2.37 per thousand dollars of assessed value. Only six of Wisconsin’s 72 counties had a lower 2024 tax rate according to the “Green Book.”
Walworth County’s levy per thousand dollars of property value for 2026 is projected to be $2.26 according to County Finance Director Jessica Connelly. “That reduction in rate from the previous year would mark at least the tenth consecutive year of Walworth County tax rate decreases,” according to Connelly. Final adoption of the 2026 Walworth County Budget including the tax rate is scheduled for November 10.
Any county budget concerns can be addressed at Thursday’s budget public hearing. The meeting starts at 6 pm. An unveiling of a new name and new features for Walworth County’s shared-ride transportation services starts at 5:30 that same evening in the parking lot of the County Administration building in downtown Elkhorn.
Similar to Whitewater’s shared-ride taxi service, “Walworth County Connect” is available on a reservation basis for trips anywhere in Walworth County with one exception. Because the City of Whitewater offers its own shared-ride service, Whitewater “in-city” trip requests cannot be provided competitively by the county service under State of Wisconsin guidelines.
Service between Whitewater and any other location in Walworth County is available by calling 262-723-4402. One way trip fares are $3 for residents 60+ and $6 for adults. Trips can be for any purpose but should be booked as far in advance as possible. Service is provided seven days per week.
