Wausau finance committee amends 2026 budget: room tax shift, solar project, officers funded; Eighth Avenue reconstruction fails

The Wausau Finance Committee on Oct. 28 amended the proposed 2026 budget to move several seasonal park expenses to room tax, approve borrowing for a municipal solar array, reallocate animal control surplus to fund two community service officer positions, and use one-time economic development funds to cover a shortfall for downtown officers. A separate proposal to borrow $1.8 million to fully reconstruct 20 Eighth Avenue failed.

The committee moved the flower-basket maintenance and the Riverlife pier installation costs out of the park levy and into the city's room-tax discretionary funds, a change supporters said would preserve daily pool operations. "That would be the discretionary," said Mary Anne (staff member), describing which portion of room tax would be available for those items. Alder Henke made the motion to transfer the piers and flower baskets to room-tax funding; Alder Watson seconded it, and members approved the amendment.

Why it matters: shifting the pier and flower-basket costs to room tax reduces pressure on the levy and was presented as a way to maintain three seasonal pools daily during 2026. Committee discussion noted the pools already operate on a day-rotation closure that began in 2020 and that fully reopening every day would…