To the Citizens of Lafayette County: As Presiding Commissioner, I would like to thank my fellow Commissioners, Monica Ritter (Northern District) and Michael Brown (Southern District) for their service to Lafayette County. We welcomed Michael Brown to the Commission in November 2025 when he replaced Brad MacLaughlin as Southern District Commissioner. Brad resigned on October 8, 2025. Michael Brown subsequently received Governor Mike Kehoe’s appointment to fill that vacancy. He was sworn in on November 26, 2025.

I would like to thank County Auditor Kali Rechterman and her Deputy Susan Short for helping on the budget process and County Clerk Jessica White and her staff as well. In addition, I would like to offer my appreciation to each of the Officeholders who worked with us to assess and compile the budget for 2026.

A special word of thanks to Bruce Graf, who retired as Superintendent of Lafayette County Road and Bridge at the end of December, 2025. He is the longest-serving employee in Lafayette County history, having served 48 years. On January 1, 2026, we promoted Cord Ostemeyer to the position of Superintendent to replace Bruce Graf.

The County hired attorney Dawn Boyer in April of 2025 as County Planning & Zoning Director and as County Attorney. We appreciate her hard work and dedication to the job. ——— The Lafayette County Commission is entrusted to accurately project the revenues and expenditures on an annual basis for the operational functions of Lafayette County. Here is information about our budget for 2025.

In the last six years, our average yearly cash carry-over of General Revenue was $1,551,538.00.

At the beginning of 2026, we were close to finalizing the budget for 2026, which included a countywide pay freeze and hiring freeze for 2026, when the Circuit Judge Josh Taylor issued a court order requiring the county to retain all deputies and jailers in the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department and to keep open and retain any vacant positions among