Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach introduces his 2026 budget proposal, Oct. 1, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach introduced Wednesday his 2026 budget proposal, which features key investments in the county’s infrastructure and the lowest property tax rate on record.
“After today, this will be the official budget that will then be turned over to the Brown County Board of Supervisors, who will go through their oversight committees that will then debate and discuss the budget that’s been presented,” Streckenbach said.
The board will hold its annual budget meeting Oct. 29 at 9 a.m. in the County Board Chambers on the lower level of the Brown County Central Library. Streckenbach’s office will then review the proposal again. The goal is to have the budget signed into law no later than Nov. 15.
“Our objective around this is really, how do we provide a community that individual families and businesses want to live, work and play in Brown County,” Streckenbach said. “One of the ways for us to do that is to be good financial stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars, and at the same time, make sure we’re investing in our infrastructure so that commerce can take place and we can get products in and out of our market.”
As part of the proposal, the 2026 mill rate will decrease by 14 cents — from $2.80 to $2.66. That’s the lowest mill rate on record, Streckenbach said. He attributed this achievement to the Brown County Board of Supervisors’ 2017 adoption of the Debt Reduction, Infrastructure and Property Tax Relief Plan.
Brown County’s budget levy for 2026 is $96.25 million. That accounts for about $1.5 million in net new construction and the closure of some tax increment districts.
Streckenbach said the county’s outstanding debt will be reduced by $7.76 million in 2026, bringing the debt total to $29.08 million — the lowest level in over 35 years. Brown County has paid off nearly $128 million in debt burden since Streckenbach took office.
The county will invest approximately $29.5 million on 17 road, bridge and infrastructure projects in 2026. That includes the South Bridge Connector project.
Work on the new I-41 interchange in De Pere and Lawrence is set to wrap up in 2026, as is work on County Highway EB from County Highway F to Mid Valley Drive.
Other topics Streckenbach discussed in his presentation include:
- Brown County’s increasing value
- Population growth
- Department levies
- Construction of a new Brown County jail pod that will replace the downtown jail facility
- Ashwaubenon and Denmark library projects
- Creation of Third on the Square, a new partnership between the ADRC, Brown County Library and Brown County Job Center
- Bay Shore Park project
- Brown County Fairgrounds and Ashwaubenon trail project
- East River water trail project
- Community gardens enhancement plan
- How a lack of state funding is negatively impacting Brown County
Click here to view the 2026 budget proposal.
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