Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld announced increased 2026 municipal services payments for state municipalities on Thursday, representing the first increase since 2003.
The 2025-27 biennial budget paves the way for prorated state payments to increase from 37.6% in 2025 to a total of 44% of costs incurred by municipalities in 2026.
These payments reimburse a portion of expenses for fire services, safety and waste that municipalities incur for state buildings, including agency and University of Wisconsin System facilities.
“The state must be a partner in — not an obstacle to — our local communities’ success, and for far too long, our local communities have been forced to do more with less,” Evers said in a statement. “These increased payments will go a long way in helping our municipalities provide essential services and continue to do their good work to keep our kids, families and communities safe, healthy and well.”
The final 2025-27 biennial budget invested $14 million in local communities across the state through municipal service payments.
