Waldo County approves 16% budget increase after months of negotiations

Waldo County approves 16% budget increase after months of negotiations

The Waldo County Budget Committee on Friday approved a spending plan that amounts to a roughly 16% increase over 2025. The vote, which took place after more than an hour of public comment, brought to an end more than three months of tumultuous negotiations over the 2026 county budget. “We’re between a rock and a hard place,” said Bob Kurek, the budget committee chair who said it would have been difficult to further reduce spending without cuttin…

Waldo County Adopts FY2026 Budget After Months of Revisions

Final approval follows contentious process, with rising costs and state mandates driving a nearly 16 percent increase.