What Portage County does

Portage County, Wisconsin is a county government entity established in 1842 and headquartered in Stevens Point, WI, operating under Wisconsin state law as a political subdivision with statutory authority over unincorporated areas, public safety, judicial administration, property records, elections, and human services. The county delivers services across approximately 18 departments including the Sheriff's Office (operating since 1842), Health and Human Services, Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), Circuit Courts, Highway Department, Planning and Zoning, Solid Waste/Recycling, Parks and Recreation, Emergency Management, Veterans Services, and Justice Programs. Its digital infrastructure is built on the CivicPlus government content management platform, integrating AudioEye accessibility tools, Google Translate multilingual support, ArcGIS Online for land information, and the Notify Me email/text alert system; the Parks Department operates an online reservation portal and the county uses ApplicantStack for hiring.

The county is funded primarily through property taxes assessed on residential and commercial parcels within Portage County, supplemented by service fees and licenses (permits, park reservations, camping fees), intergovernmental program revenue (notably senior nutrition and HHS programs), and minor capital project financing. The Parks Department operates 10 parks including Standing Rocks County Park (ranked Wisconsin's third-best disc golf venue), Collins Park, Jordan Park, Lake Emily Park, and Lake Helen Park, with 10 full-time staff and up to 30 seasonal employees. Senior services are delivered through the Lincoln Center with suggested-donation pricing ($5/meal for eligible age-60+ participants; $12/meal for non-eligible). Distribution occurs through physical offices in Stevens Point and Plover, online self-service portals, field operations (highway maintenance, sheriff patrols, EMS), and senior dining sites in five communities.

Portage County is governed by a 25-district County Board of Supervisors, a County Executive (Eric Olson), and elected/appointed department heads. Current leadership includes Sheriff Mike Lukas, County Clerk Maria Davis, District Attorney Cass Cousins, Finance Director Jennifer Jossie, HR Director Laura Belanger Tess, IT Director Shane Gollnick, ADRC Director Cindy Piotrowski, Public Health Manager Gary Garske (MPH, RS), and Park Director Ryan Rose. The entity is in an active expansion phase, with 19 open job postings and a major capital project — the new Jail & Law Enforcement Center in Plover, WI (Board-approved November 18, 2025; groundbreaking September 16, 2026) — alongside ongoing digital-service modernization through the CivicPlus platform.

Name

Portage County

Legal name

Portage County, Wisconsin

Website

https://co.portage.wi.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1842

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Portage County, Wisconsin is a county government headquartered in Stevens Point, providing statutory public services — including law enforcement, courts, public health, senior services, parks, and highway maintenance — to county residents across 25 board districts, funded primarily through property taxes and intergovernmental revenue since 1842.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Correctional Institutions (922140), Courts (922110), Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (92612)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), Local Transportation, Parking & Mobility Administration (BPAIACAM)

Keywords

• County government services
• Public safety services
• Health human services
• Parks recreation services
• Land records management

Headquarters

HQ city

Stevens Point

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: County collects property taxes from residential and commercial properties within Portage County boundaries to fund general operations and services
2. Service Fees and Licenses: Fees collected for various permits, licenses, certifications, park reservations, camping, and program registrations
3. Program Revenue: Revenue from nutrition programs, senior center activities, and community health programs, including suggested donations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Portage County provides comprehensive local government services to county residents through multiple departments including law enforcement (Sheriff's Office operating since 1842), Health and Human Services, Parks and Recreation (managing 10 parks including Standing Rocks County Park), Highway Department, Aging and Disability Resource Center, Circuit Courts, Planning and Zoning, Emergency Management, Veterans Services, Solid Waste, and Emergency Medical Services. The county also operates a CivicPlus-powered digital government portal enabling online payments, property records access, job applications, and civic engagement.

Product overview

Portage County, Wisconsin operates as a county government providing a comprehensive portfolio of public services through both physical departments and a digital government portal. The county's service portfolio includes core government operations such as Parks and Recreation (managing 10 parks including Standing Rocks County Park), Health and Human Services (public health, WIC, mental health, child services), Sheriff's Office (law enforcement since 1842), Highway Department (transportation infrastructure), Aging and Disability Resource Center (senior services), Circuit Courts (judicial services), Planning and Zoning (land development), Emergency Management, Veterans Services, Solid Waste/Recycling, Emergency Medical Services, Finance, and Justice Programs. The digital presence is delivered through an official website portal built on the CivicPlus platform, which hosts online job applications via ApplicantStack, meeting calendars, news alerts, and public records access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parks and Recreation Services County-run parks department operating Standing Rocks County Park, Collins Park, DuBay Park, Jordan Park, Lake Emily Park, Lake Helen Park, and Tomorrow River State Trail. Offers year-round outdoor recreation including disc golf, skiing, biking, hiking, and camping with electric hookups for county residents and visitors.
• Health and Human Services Comprehensive health and social services for county residents including public health programs, WIC nutrition services, economic support, child support enforcement, mental health services, child protective services, and Birth to Three early intervention for children with special needs.
• Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Law enforcement services operating since 1842 including patrol operations, detective bureau, K-9 unit, communications center, emergency management coordination, corrections division, juvenile detention, and community programs such as the Epi Pen program for deputies.
• Highway Department Transportation Services Transportation infrastructure management providing road construction, road maintenance, and a 6-year reconstruction and resurfacing plan for county trunk highways throughout Portage County.
• Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Support services for seniors age 60+ and adults with disabilities including caregiver support, nutrition programs (congregate dining and home-delivered meals), transportation assistance, dementia services, benefits assistance, and evidence-based health programs such as Fun & Fit at Lincoln Center.
• Circuit Courts Judicial Services Judicial services including circuit court administration, clerk services, court forms, jury service, and electronic filing capabilities through Wisconsin Courts across three branches and a Family Court Commissioner.
• Planning and Zoning Services Land development guidance and regulation including comprehensive zoning, water resources management, groundwater monitoring, GIS land information, and long-term local development planning for Portage County.
• Solid Waste and Recycling Services Waste management services overseeing the Material Recovery Facility (Recycling Center) and Transfer Facility in Plover, including collection schedules, recycling programs, and hazardous materials handling for county residents.
• Emergency Management Services Disaster preparedness and response coordination including emergency operations planning, warming and cooling centers, search and rescue, and community right-to-know compliance for county residents.
• Veterans Services Advocacy and comprehensive services for veterans and their families including healthcare coordination, burial benefits, education assistance, pension programs, and employment assistance.
• Emergency Medical Services County EMS program management including ambulance service, emergency medical responder support, EMS agencies coordination, and patient care protocol administration.
• Register of Deeds Official record keeping for real estate, personal property, and vital statistics including birth, marriage, and death certificates, eRecording, and genealogy services.
• County Website Portal Official government website built on CivicPlus platform providing residents access to government services, news, events, meeting calendars, online payments, job openings, and public records requests.
• Public Library System Public library services at Stevens Point, Plover, Almond, and Rosholt branches offering free and equal opportunity for lifelong learning and community engagement.
• Justice Programs Collaborative justice system services including Adult Drug Treatment Court, Day Report Program, Post-Sentence Supervision, and Pretrial Supervision for minimizing system disruption.

Quantifiable outcome

• Standing Rocks Park ranked as Wisconsin's third-best disc golf venue
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CivicPluscoreTechnology or IntegrationCivicPlus provides the government website platform powering co.portage.wi.us, including content management, Notify Me notifications, online payments, meeting agendas, and accessibility features (AudioEye).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Columbia County, Wisconsin: Columbia County, WI is a direct peer—Wisconsin county of similar size (~57,000 residents) with comparable rural-suburban mix, departmental structure, and statutory authority. Closely mirrors Portage County's HHS, Sheriff, Parks, and Highway scope.
• Wood County, Wisconsin: Wood County, WI is a direct peer—adjacent geographically to Portage County, with similar population (~74,000), comparable service portfolio (Sheriff, HHS, Highway, Parks, Circuit Courts, ADRC, Solid Waste), and operates under the same Wisconsin county-government framework. Most directly comparable in scale and structure.
• Sauk County, Wisconsin: Sauk County, WI is a direct peer—Wisconsin county of similar population (~64,000) with comparable tourism-revenue exposure (Wisconsin Dells area parks), full HHS/ADRC/Sheriff/Highway service portfolio, and similar statutory authority under Wisconsin county law.
• Marathon County, Wisconsin: Marathon County, WI is a direct peer—larger Wisconsin county (~135,000 residents) operating the same comprehensive service portfolio (Sheriff, HHS, Parks, Highway, ADRC, Courts, Planning & Zoning, Solid Waste). Provides a useful scale-up reference for what a more populous county government in central Wisconsin looks like.
• Waupaca County, Wisconsin: Waupaca County, WI is a direct peer—geographically adjacent to Portage County with similar rural-Wisconsin service profile (Sheriff, HHS, Highway, Parks, ADRC, Planning & Zoning). Smaller population (~52,000) but near-identical departmental structure and statutory authority.
• Dodge County, Wisconsin: Dodge County, WI is a direct peer—Wisconsin county of similar size (~89,000 residents) operating the same comprehensive local-government portfolio (Sheriff, HHS, Highway, Parks, ADRC, Circuit Courts, Planning & Zoning, Veterans Services).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@portagecountywi5966
• Facebookfacebook.com/co.portage.wi
• Instagraminstagram.com/portagecountywi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portage-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Portage County