Oshkosh gets feedback on 2026 budget that slashes animal welfare

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WISS) – Oshkosh residents came out to address concerns at a hearing about the proposed 2026 budget at City Hall on Tuesday night. Most came to speak on the proposed funding cut to the Oshkosh Area Humane Society (OAHS). 

2026 Budget Details

Oshkosh City Manager Rebecca Grill presented the $235 million budget, which includes a tax levy mill rate of $7.73 per $ 1,000 of assessed property value. That’s down from $8.14 in 2025. Grill said more than 62 percent of the city’s funding comes from property taxes.

“ We have over-reliance on property taxes. In Wisconsin, I believe we’re the sixth-largest state to rely on property taxes for funding local governments. Other states have other types of taxes, like sales taxes or fees. In Wisconsin, that’s its property taxes,” said Grill.

Grill said based on the average home value in Oshkosh of $225,000, a property owner will see about a $91 reduction in the city portion of their property taxes.

Oshkosh Area Humane Society

The proposed budget includes a line item that reduces the city’s payment to OAHS for animal services by 44 percent. In 2025, the City of Oshkosh budgeted $107,500 for contracted services with the OAHS. The 2026 budget cut that line item to $60,000.

Ieva Engel, executive director of the OAHS, explained that the shelter is 90 percent donor-funded. 

“Outside of contracted services with the city of Oshkosh and a few smaller municipalities, we do not receive funding from any other government or statewide or nationwide animal welfare organization,” Engel said.

According to Engel, last year the OAHS cared for 3200 animals, including 701 strays from the City of Oshkosh alone. The Oshkosh Police Department brought in 126 of those stray animals.

“ The cost of each stray animal we take in is $250, and that is just for the basic care,” Engel explained. “Whereas we currently receive $150 from the city of Oshkosh for each of the animals. That is a gap of $100 per animal that the Humane Society has to cover from donated funds.”

Several residents spoke in support of OAHS. They asked the city to fund the shelter at 2025 levels. 

“You’re not getting $125 for every pet that is surrendered by the police,” said Cecil Streeter. “You’re getting 24/7 365 Insurance that your pet will be very well cared for if there is a call.”

“ You’ll be handing down possible death sentences to hundreds of animals in ours and neighboring communities we serve,” claimed OAHS supporter Nikki Hronis.

One resident, Carmen Scott, said she believes the community can make up the funding difference for the shelter. 

“ I am grateful for all the OAHS does for the animals who truly are the least of these, but I believe that the shortfall can be met by people like you and me who care and are willing to step up to meet the needs,” she said.

Oshkosh Police Chief Dean Smith told the Common Council, after most of the people had left the meeting, that he is negotiating a contract with OAHS that he hopes will be more in line with what other neighboring municipalities have when contracting with their Humane Societies.

“Certainly, we all love animals. It’s not a decision about whether or not animals should be treated well. Everybody wants animals to be treated well,” Smith said. “But we also had to look at this as a business decision for taxpayer dollars. And we wanted to right size the contract based upon what our peers around us were funding in specifically the Cities of Appleton, Neenah, Fond du Lac. And when we reviewed what they were spending. They were spending far less than what we are spending for like services.”

While Council Member Jacob Floam did present an amendment to the budget that would have funded the OAHS-contracted services with the city at the 2025 budget level, the amendment failed by a vote of 5 to 1.

Next Steps

The proposed 2026 budget now goes to the Common Council for a vote during its Nov. 11 meeting.