MADISON, Wis. — The Dane County Executive is sharing her plans for the future as her county continues to deal with financial difficulties.
Thursday marked the first-ever ‘State of the County’ address in the history of Dane County. Dane County Executive Melissa Agard shared her vision statement as she continues her second year in office.
“Recognizing our past and looking forward to our future and rooting it in service is how I believe the county will move forward,” Agard said.
Agard has served as Dane County Executive since winning a special election in Nov. 2024. When she began her term, the county was faced with a more than $30 million budget deficit.
Agard said her administration has brought that deficit down to approximately $15 million without laying off any county employees.
“Bringing in department leaders, the employee groups, the county board, we’ve worked very hard to stabilize our finances while protecting core services that define Dane County,” Agard said.
Agard said there’s still more work to be done to improve the county’s financial standing.
She said her team will continue to find savings and improve efficiencies when developing the county’s 2027 budget.
Beyond that year, Agard is laying out a long-term plan for the future of Dane County.
“It’s called Dane County in Action, and the plan has four strategic pillars that will guide my administration as we continue to move forward,” Agard said.
Those pillars include ‘Community Services Delivery’, ‘Economic Development’, ‘Justice System Improvement’, and ‘Environmental Leadership’.
Agard said part of that final pillar includes protecting natural resources.
That’s why Dane County is purchasing 165 acres of land in the Town of Dunn to donate to the Ho-Chunk Nation.
“Securing the Herro Property in the Town of Dunn stands as one of the most significant preservation achievements for the Nation in the last 50 years,” said Lambert Cleveland, Jr., Vice-President of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin.
Agard said the donation is the largest land gift in Dane County history. It also strengthens the county’s relationship with the Ho-Chunk Nation, which Cleveland said he’s excited to continue developing.
Agard said she’s focused on finding similar innovate solutions to accomplish the rest of the goals in her strategic plan.
“We’ll use data, collaboration and regular evaluations to guide our decisions, to strengthen our services, and to make sure we’re delivering results for people here in Dane County,” Agard said.
Agard said as the fastest-growing county in Wisconsin, it’s up to the people of Dane County to plan for its future in a thoughtful and responsible way.
