Columbia County, WI elected officials: county supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Columbia County: 6 seats on 6 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County ClerkSusan Moll Republican source
Clerk of Circuit CourtJulie Kayartz Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneyBrenda Yaskal Democratic source
Register of DeedsChristine Clark Republican source
SheriffRoger Brandner Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerStacy L. Opalewski Republican source

How many local governments Columbia County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 55 local governments in Columbia County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships (13 municipal, 21 township)340
School districts (school boards)100
Special districts (elected boards)100

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Columbia County

58,272people
43.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$85,351 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
7.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$283,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5%U.S.: 8.4%
35.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.1% · White 90.3% · Black 1.6% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 3.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Columbia County

2.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.5%. Wisconsin: 2.9%.
840people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
31,325people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
32,165in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Columbia County 0.0%1.6%3.2%4.8%6.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.6%84031,32532,165
August 20263.1%97530,92231,897
July 20263.1%99231,03532,027
June 20263.2%1,01330,91431,927
May 20262.7%83130,40931,240
April 20263.1%98730,60431,591
March 20263.9%1,24230,30031,542
February 20264.1%1,28930,21231,501
January 20263.7%1,13629,96131,097
December 20252.8%87330,63031,503
November 20252.7%84530,67831,523
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.5%76530,44631,211
August 20252.8%87630,38931,265
July 20252.9%91430,74831,662
June 20253.0%94230,74131,683
May 20252.8%86230,01630,878
April 20253.1%96530,64131,606
March 20253.6%1,13230,46931,601
February 20253.7%1,18030,44031,620
January 20253.3%1,03530,30931,344
December 20242.5%79730,56931,366
November 20242.4%75430,77031,524
October 20242.2%70330,77531,478
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.0%94430,50131,445
20242.7%85930,63531,494
20232.5%79130,57231,363
20222.6%81930,51031,329
20213.4%1,08530,62231,707
20206.1%1,90929,60631,515
20193.0%94030,80431,744
20182.7%85830,85431,712
20173.0%94230,95431,896
20163.5%1,12130,62231,743

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Wisconsin's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.2% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Columbia County

121.8 per 100,0002023. Wisconsin: 298.0.
555.0 per 100,0002023. Wisconsin: 1,237.5.
0murders2023, 70 violent crimes in all.

2023 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202370121.8319555.0
202264111.2396687.8
20205698.45931,042.5
201969121.7448790.4
201877135.8378666.7
201788155.7480849.5
201664113.75991,064.2
By police agency (7)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Columbia County Sheriff's Office20244414031,433
Portage Police Department2025111299,830
Columbus Police Department20255255,404
Lodi Police Department20252103,201
Poynette Police Department2024612,544
Fall River Police Department2023021,791
Rio Police Department2024101,133

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Wisconsin · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.66 per 1,000 residents2025, 7 agencies serving 55,536 people.
92sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
65civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (7), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Columbia County Sheriff's Office445831,226
Portage Police Department2439,830
Columbus Police Department825,404
Lodi Police Department613,201
Poynette Police Department512,896
Fall River Police Department301,853
Rio Police Department201,126
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025921.66657
2024921.66767
2023881.59767
2020881.61787
2018881.61727
2017851.56837
2016861.59767

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Columbia County County Clerk?
Susan Moll (Republican) is the County Clerk of Columbia County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Columbia County Clerk of Circuit Court?
Julie Kayartz (Republican) is the Clerk of Circuit Court of Columbia County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Columbia County District Attorney?
Brenda Yaskal (Democratic) is the District Attorney of Columbia County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Columbia County Register of Deeds?
Christine Clark (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Columbia County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Columbia County Sheriff?
Roger Brandner (Republican) is the Sheriff of Columbia County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Columbia County County Treasurer?
Stacy L. Opalewski (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Columbia County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Columbia County?
About 58,272 people, with a median age of 43.7; the median household income is $85,351 and 7.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Columbia County?
2.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 840 people unemployed in a labor force of 32,165, against 2.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Columbia County?
55 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 13 municipal, 21 township, 10 school district and 10 special district governments.

Officeholders as of August 4, 2025, from the Wisconsin Blue Book 2025–2026 (Legislative Reference Bureau), as county clerks reported their officers in April 2025; officials elected or appointed since then may differ, and only each county board's chair is listed; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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