MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Dane County Executive Melissa Agard plans on implementing a hiring freeze at the Oct. 23 Dane County Board meeting, her office announced Wednesday.

Agard said the reason for the freeze comes from both the disruption in Washington amid the government shutdown and Dane County’s “significant budget challenges”.

“The Trump Shutdown will harm families, workers, and communities across the country, and Dane County is not immune,” Agard said. “The political chaos in Washington has thrown a cloud of uncertainty over our local budget. We cannot ignore the risk of disrupted federal funding and the ripple effects that will be felt in our community.”

Agard said the 2026 budget process in Dane County is facing a structural deficit of $31 million, because of rising costs and s

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