Sheriff outlines preliminary 2027 budget with wages as main driver
August 07, 2026 | Sawyer County, Wisconsin
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The sheriff and county finance staff walked the committee through a preliminary 2027 worksheet for the sheriff's office, attributing most of the projected increases to wages and benefits and noting some line-item shifts.
"So at the end of the patrol side, we're looking at... but we're right at 3,134,000," the sheriff said, describing the patrol breakout; he later summarized the overall sheriff-office budget at roughly $7.108 million with an increase of just under $270,000 largely tied to wages. The jail side was reported near $3,025,000 and dispatcher expenses around $709,000, with staffing as the largest cost driver.
Staff highlighted an approximately $10,000 increase in vehicle maintenance — described in the worksheet as moving from roughly $246,000 to $256,000 — and noted medical and mental-health coverage in the jail budget had increased as the county added more medical staffing and mental-health resources. Committee members asked questions and were told some line shifts reflect reallocation of salary costs between departments rather than net new positions.
No budgetary appropriation vote occurred at the meeting; these are preliminary requests that will be reviewed in department and committee budget sessions.
"So at the end of the patrol side, we're looking at... but we're right at 3,134,000," the sheriff said, describing the patrol breakout; he later summarized the overall sheriff-office budget at roughly $7.108 million with an increase of just under $270,000 largely tied to wages. The jail side was reported near $3,025,000 and dispatcher expenses around $709,000, with staffing as the largest cost driver.
Staff highlighted an approximately $10,000 increase in vehicle maintenance — described in the worksheet as moving from roughly $246,000 to $256,000 — and noted medical and mental-health coverage in the jail budget had increased as the county added more medical staffing and mental-health resources. Committee members asked questions and were told some line shifts reflect reallocation of salary costs between departments rather than net new positions.
No budgetary appropriation vote occurred at the meeting; these are preliminary requests that will be reviewed in department and committee budget sessions.
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