Wright County reviews 2027 budget; board to consider culvert contract, registrar funding
Wright County officials spent the past week reviewing the proposed 2027 county budget, but no decisions have been published yet. All three recent meetings were agenda-only, with minutes not yet available. The most significant items on the table include a multi-department budget review, a culvert construction contract, and a request for state funding for deputy registrar offices.
Budget review sessions
The Committee of the Whole held two budget-review sessions on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19. The first session covered an overview of the proposed 2027 budget and department-by-department allocations for highway services, fleet and facilities, the attorney’s office, probation and court services, drainage and natural resources, parks and recreation, court administration, the surveyor, assessor, planning and zoning, and the recorder’s office.
The second session, a full-day meeting, focused on funding requests from the Fair Board, Historical Society, Sheriff’s Office, Veteran Services, Information Technology, and Health & Human Services. The committee also reviewed position requests, the capital improvement plan, and the overall preliminary budget. No decisions were noted in the agenda for either session.
County Board meeting (Aug. 18)
The Wright County Board met Aug. 18 with a routine agenda that included minutes, charitable gambling applications, budget amendments, and new tobacco and hemp retail registrations. The board was scheduled to consider awarding Contract No. 26-10 for the 13th Street Box Culvert in Chatham Township to Landwehr Construction, Inc. of St. Cloud, MN. It also planned to approve Budget Amendment 51 for a highway maintenance increase, approve a new tobacco retail application for Cub Foods in Monticello, and approve lower-potency hemp edible retail registrations for Cub Foods (Monticello) and South Haven Sports (South Haven).
Additionally, the board was set to adopt Resolution 26-52 to impound, reroute, and divert drainage system waters and partially abandon County Ditch 33. As with the budget sessions, minutes have not yet been published, so no final actions are confirmed.
Upcoming board meeting (Aug. 25)
The Wright County Board will convene Tuesday, Aug. 25, to handle a consent agenda that includes a joint powers agreement with the State of Minnesota for election services and warrant disbursements issued Aug. 10–16, 2026. Timed items include presentations from the Initiative Foundation and a GIS recognition, plus Resolution 26-55, which requests state revenue sharing to sustain deputy registrar offices. The board will also nominate members to the Wright County Canvassing Board and schedule future meetings, including a Committee of the Whole-Budget session on Sept. 15 and a County Board meeting on Sept. 29.
Coming up
- **Wright County Board** – Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. Agenda includes the registrar funding resolution, election services agreement, and meeting scheduling. This is the next opportunity for public comment on county business.
- **Committee of the Whole-Budget** – Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. The board will continue its 2027 budget review.
- **County Board** – Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Regular board meeting.
All meeting agendas and minutes are available on the Wright County website.