ELLSWORTH – Ellsworth Village President Becky Beissel and Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Brad Roy presented the 2026 State of the Village at the April 23 Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon at C3 Church. They highlighted community wins, shared progress and plans and invited community collaboration for the years ahead.

Beissel has been village president for five years, while Roy stepped into his role in September 2022. Since 2022, the village has worked to build a strong foundation to create a roadmap for the future, Beissel said. Staff and the board have updated the Comprehensive Plan (2022) and downtown design guidelines (2024), completed the Outdoor Recreation Plan (2025), created a Strategic Plan (2025) and East End Redevelopment District Plan (2025), created the Façade Improvement Program with $12,500 available currently (2026) and is in the process of creating an East End Park Master Plan.

“I’m grateful for the whole team,” Beissel said.

She dispelled rumors that the only reason a new plan is being created for East End Park is because Cheese Curd Fest and the Chamber “always get what they want.”

“It’s part of a strategic plan with several steps that includes Cairns Woods, Bonnie Langer Park and Summit Park,” Beissel said. “We started with East End Park.”

Annual budget

As for the annual budget, it has actually decreased by $600,000 over the past three years, or 15%, Roy said.

“It’s the village’s goal to have a healthy fund balance of 25-33%,” Roy said. “That’s our reserves, and the one we’re most concerned with is our unassigned fund balance. The number has fluctuated significantly over the years. We’re pretty confident the 2025 audit will show that we’re at that threshold. The key is having that stability and consistency.”

The village, which has worked hard to identify other funding sources, has applied for and received more than $2 million in grants since 2022, which helps decrease taxpayer burden. Those include:

• $1,574,982 WisDOT ARIP (East End infrastructure project)
• $150,000 WEDEC Site Assessment Grant (demolition of former junior high site)
• $131,000 WEDEC Community Development Investment Grant (Baker Building)
• $60,000 Wisconsin DNR Grant (Summit Park expansion)
• $68,000 Innovation Planning Grant (collaboration initiatives)
• $25,000 DNR Urban Forest Grant (tree inventory/program)
• $15,000 Perce County Public Spaces Grant (outdoor furnishings at Ellsworth Public Library)

Property taxes

The next topic was the mill rate, which is calculated by dividing the total taxes needed by the total assessed value of the community. In comparison to other local communities, Ellsworth falls in the upper middle at 18.48; those higher are Maiden Rock/Plum City School District (29.22), Maiden Rock/Ellsworth School District (22.55) and Bay City (22.03). Those lower than Ellsworth include Plum City (17.72), Spring Valley (16.82), Prescott (16.79), River Falls/Pierce County (15.08) and Elmwood (14.99).

“The village portion of taxes did increase 6% largely due to the borrowing for the Grant and Piety streets project and East End project all at once,” Roy said. “These do change. There are a lot of factors. On our end, we’re looking for stability. What can we control? Keep it nice and flat so people know what to expect.”

Property tax bills divvy money out to four taxing jurisdictions. Beissel said a common misconception is that high taxes means high spending, which isn’t necessarily the case. Five contributing factors are:

• How equalized value determines who plays
• Agricultural land is assessed differently, so $100,000 of assessed value in the village is assessed differently than in the townships
• Tax-exempt properties reduces the tax base. Ellsworth (a lot due to the county property) – 12%, Prescott – 7%, Baldwin – 6%, Roberts – 5%.)
• Property mix: residential vs. commercial. A 2022 reassessment, which is required by the state, totally flipped the property mix in Ellsworth. Residential properties went high, while commercial went low.
• Vacant and undeveloped land brings in less taxes. Ellsworth has 250 vacant lots, which bring in very little tax base. “Part of the puzzle we’re trying to solve,” Beissel said.

Water & sewer rates

The next topic on the docket was water and sewer utility rates. The Water Utility had been operating in a deficit since 2017, Roy said. While costs have increased 40% in that time, rates had only increased 9.3% since 2007, resulting in a deficit. This forced Ellsworth to go before the Public Service Commission, which increased rates by 41% for the average residential user.

The Sewer Utility had been operating in a deficit since prior to 2019, so rates were increased in 2025 (13% for the average household) to keep it out of the red. Another increase will be coming.

“I’m a little optimistic that the jump won’t be so significant,” Roy said.

The fire protection charge was also shifted from the general fund to the utility rates.

Even with the increases, Ellsworth is still in the lower half of surrounding communities for water and sewer utility rates. Quarterly water bills for surrounding communities (using 6,000 gallons of water) are $197.88 for Maiden Rock, $88.68 for Bay City, $78 for Spring Valley, $50.49 for Prescott, $45.18 for Ellsworth, $41.79 for Elmwood and $36.96 for River Falls.

Reinstated impact fees

After a pause, the village board voted to reinstate impact fees in 2023, which are one-time charges collected from builders at the time of building permit issuance, designed to offset the cost of public infrastructure and services. Impact fees help fund parks, the library, police department and water utility in Ellsworth.  

The goal of the previous boards in pausing impact fees was to potentially draw new development, Beissel said. Unfortunately, it didn’t. For 13 years (2010-2023), the village averaged four new housing units per year, while in 2024 it increased to 58 units, and 44 units in 2025.

“Every new development does create an impact, and how do we pay for that added service,” Roy said. “Ours are very reasonable.”

The impact fee in Ellsworth is $3,580; the current impact fee balance in the village coffers is $393,000. New housing units that have contributed to impact fees include:

• The old junior high site (29 units)
• MeadowLark Eco Apartments (54 units)
• Habitat for Humanity (six units on Panther Drive)
• C&J Builders has purchased many vacant lots for sale in the village and they’re building on those. They’re located on current infrastructure, with no need to build new roads.

Potential upcoming projects include Gerrard Phase 2 (34 units, 24 senior living, 10 twin homes), Pinnacle off South Maple (59 units) and C&J Builders.

Economic Development

As for economic development and community growth, the Crossing Meadows development (TIDs 7 and 13) has seen the first new buildings in a decade with the Mahn Funeral Home, Loberg Law Office, MeadowLark Eco Apartments, Kwik Trip (slated to open in August) and Gerrard Phase 2. There are only three vacant lots left in the business park.

“The fact that we’re down to only three lots, I’d be surprised if they don’t sell in the next few years,” Roy said. “If a good business wants to come in, we’ll take them.”

2026 goals

The 2026 goals for the village are as follows:

Infrastructure and revitalization

• Completion of North Grant/South Piety construction
• East End street/infrastructure project
• Sidewalk maintenance and repairs
• Tree Inventory Program (25,000 DNR grant)

Strategic Growth & Planning

• Marketing and redevelopment of old library building (312 W. Main St.) in its prime location. The Community Development Authority is looking for a commercial or retail aspect suitable for a high-volume traffic area, that would complement surrounding businesses and preserve the building’s historic architecture.
• Implementation of Outdoor Recreation Plan/create park plans, focusing on Summit Park next
• Continued Comp Plan implementation

The East End Street Project and Redevelopment will be a priority, using the $1,574,982 ARIP Grant, Beissel said.

“The infrastructure was literally crumbling beneath the streets,” she said.

The goal is to make it pedestrian-friendly, increase vehicle and pedestrian safety and create a beautiful, vibrant downtown district that draws visitors and community members.

“Truly this was an infrastructure project to start,” Roy said. “The sewer is clay tile that is cracked. Previous village boards had some engineering done looking at this project in 2017. It’s never going to get less expensive. Why not make it look nice when you’re putting it back.”

The Creamery TID had $600,000 that needed to be spent, which will be put toward the project.

East End business owner Angie Whelan voiced her support for the project.

“I know there’s a lot of people saying that this is all for the Cheese Curd Festival, but I would like to say that there are businesses operating down there every day,” she said. “I think the Cheese Curd Festival has been a great thing to show the potential for that business district, but we can enjoy it all year round.”

Currently the district has 83 parking spots, which will increase to 92. Key changes will include Broadway, which will remain a one-way street, converting from angled to parallel parking, two new public parking lots and improved traffic flow and pedestrian safety. The odd “no-man’s land” parking area at Wall and Broadway streets will be clearly defined, hopefully improving safety.

East End Park Master Plan

Beissel next spoke about the East End Park Master Plan, which is the next step after completing the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. She stressed that it’s a long-term vision, not a construction project; no funding or timeline has been established. Any future improvements would require village board approval and funding source identification.

Beissel said the idea didn’t come out of the blue; it’s evolved from community feedback received during the Design Ellsworth initiative and community surveys when drafting the Comprehensive and Outdoor Recreation plans.

The village recently invited residents to complete a survey, asking for feedback on two potential East End Park ideas. The results will be revealed once they’re compiled, as the deadline was April 23.

Challenges and opportunities

Things the village will continue working on, with community input where appropriate, are:

• Additional commercial and industrial development
• Infill Project (lots aren’t for sale, but development on them would help. Best for developing because infrastructure is already in.)
• TID 10 (McDonald’s, Walter’s Electric area) is operating at a deficit
• Current village facilities. Basement of the new library building needs work. Village hall needs renovations.
• Staffing
• Growing revenues
• Park improvement funding
• Negativity in the community

In all, village staff hope to collaborate with community members and organizations to create a welcoming, well-planned, growing community, a local government focused on smart investments and transparency, a strong business base that fuels economic vitality, a school district that supports families and future workers, a Chamber that connects and champions local businesses, civic organizations that enhance daily life and community pride, and faith communities that serve neighbors and strengthen community connections.