The village of DeForest’s finances are “in good shape,” according to village president Colleen Little and a report on DeForest’s 2025 annual financial audit, the Star reports.
The village’s general fund balance was up roughly $545,000 from $2.75 million in 2024 to $3.29 million in 2025.
According to Baker Tilly senior manager Leah Gaffney, who conducted the audit on July 7, due to the village board’s approved balance budget for the prior year, the increase was not due to unused tax levy dollars. The boost came instead from favorable investment earnings and higher-than-budgeted building permit revenue.
The village also follows Wisconsin state statutes when it comes to its general obligation debt, limiting the amount it can carry to 5% of the equalized value of taxable property within the village. DeForest is well below this limit, holding $53.13 million in debt at the end of 2025.
That’s just slightly up from the $52.69 million in general obligation debt it held at the end of 2024.
