(The Center Square) – Less than a day into the federal government shutdown, Dane Count’sy executive says she has no choice but to freeze hiring.
County Executive Melissa Agard announced she will freeze hiring for “all non-essential vacancies.”
“The Trump Shutdown will harm families, workers, and communities across the country, and Dane County is not immune,” Agard said in a statement. “The political chaos in Washington has thrown a cloud of uncertainty over our local budget. We cannot ignore the risk of disrupted federal funding and the ripple effects that will be felt in our community.”
But the hiring freeze, and Dane County’s budget troubles, cannot be entirely laid at the feet of the Trump administration or the federal government.
Agard admitted that Dane County was looking at a dire financial situation before the federal government shutdown.
“Dane County entered the 2026 budget process facing a $31 million structural deficit due to rising costs and stagnant revenues,” Agard said in the statement.
“Even before this shutdown, we were staring down difficult fiscal realities. Costs for services and infrastructure continue to climb, while revenues remain flat. Now, with federal dysfunction creating additional uncertainty, it would be reckless to continue with business as usual,” she added.
Agard introduced a new, smaller county budget Wednesday afternoon. She is now looking to spend $825 million, about 3% less than last year.
The drop in spending ends a six-year streak of county budget increases. In all, the total Dane County budget jumped 47% between 2019 and 2025.
In addition to the hiring freeze, Agard is offering an early retirement incentive. She’s also offering voluntary, unpaid time off. Though there are no layoffs planned.
The new Dane County budget would lower property taxes. Her proposal would likely lead to a 3% tax decrease. Dane County supervisors will now look at Agard’s plan, and vote on it in the coming weeks.
