The budget, which the Dane County Board of Supervisors approved Nov. 4, includes more than $861 million in operating costs and more than $94 million in capital spending — roughly $955 million combined.

Agard said the county managed to shrink its projected shortfall from approximately $31 million to around $15 million, a reduction she framed as a significant step toward long-term fiscal stability. Affordability, she said, was a central concern for county officials as they worked through the budget, mirroring the cost-of-living worries that dominated the midterm elections.

Housing and shelter received the single largest area of investment at more than $29 million. The county board amended Agard's original proposal to add $7.25 million to that line item.

Even with the increase, Agard said the county cannot address homelessness on its own and called for partnerships with cities and villages across Dane County.

"There is a fiscal component to this, and we certainly would appreciate partnerships with municipalities across Dane County, because this is not an issue that any one organization, one government can take on by itself," Agard said.

The budget signing comes as Dane County — like much of Wisconsin — continues to grapple with rising housing costs and a persistent shortage of affordable units. County funding for shelter and supportive housing is typically leveraged with federal, state and municipal dollars, and local officials have increasingly warned that no single level of government can close the gap alone.

The county board's $7.25 million addition signals that supervisors wanted to go further than the executive's initial proposal on housing, though the final figure still falls well short of what advocates say is needed to house the county's unhoused population.

Agard's office did not immediately release a detailed breakdown of how the $29 million will be allocated across programs. The budget takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.