County committee backs homelessness coordinator, agrees to fund Wausau emergency shelter partnership

At a Marathon County Health and Human Services Committee meeting, Administrator Leonard said the committee directed administration to include a new public-health coordinator position in the 2026 budget to address homelessness and moved funding to support an emergency shelter partnership with the City of Wausau. The committee voted to advance the position request and later approved county funding to partner with the city’s contract for emergency shelter services, with the county share not to exceed $175,000 in fiscal 2026.

The action follows direction from a joint city–county homelessness task force and staff work drawing on La Crosse County’s Pathways Home model. "There was direction to move forward with putting into the budget a position to address homelessness," Administrator Leonard said. He told the committee he identified existing personnel funding, proposed defunding an existing nurse manager position’s funding to pay for the new public-health coordinator, and that the HR Finance and Property Committee had already approved the new-position request.

Committee members stressed the distinction between discussion and formal action. The committee first voted to move the position request forward. Later, after debate about shelter costs and provider selection, a motion to provide funding for the partnership with the city passed, recorded as 4–0 with three members absent.

Administrator Leonard explained the shelter funding request grew out of a county allocation of $200,000 in 2025 to partner with Wausau on emergency shelter services. He said the city’s contract envisions Bridge Street Mission as the provider and estimates the county share at $175,000 in fiscal 2026, not to exceed that amount. Leonard told the committee the city’s contract covers shelter services year-round and that Bridge Street Mission’s planned build-out of its space likely will not be ready by January 2026, making an interim arrangement necessary if the county wishes to continue funding.

Some committee members voiced concerns about the provider and long-term strategy. One member, Ron Covelli, cited another community’s experience: "Their homeless shelter ... has an 85 percent success rate," he said, describing a faith-based program in Sidney, Ohio, that partners with government and private funders. Another committee member questioned whether a county partnership should focus more on the long-term, treatment-and-housing arm of the homelessness response rather than emergency shelter operations.

A county supervisor raised concerns about Bridge Street Mission volunteers and faith-based programming. "In that contract, it does speak about the nondiscrimination ... no beneficiary of services under this contract shall be required to participate in any religious activities," said Sariq, quoting the contract language. Committee members debated the adequacy of nondiscrimination language and whether faith-based volunteers could influence case management approaches.

Administrator Leonard said unused 2025 shelter funds could be carried forward and used to cover 2026 costs if the board directed him to do so. He reiterated that program and service decisions are the board’s prerogative and that administration would include in the proposed budget whatever the board directs.

The committee discussed timing and membership: several supervisors noted only four of seven members were present for key votes and suggested inviting city officials or convening a special meeting before finalizing budget language. Leonard said he must deliver a proposed budget by the end of the month and could incorporate the committee’s direction but that early October and November meetings provide additional opportunities to amend the budget.

The committee’s decisions were procedural: it forwarded the position request for inclusion in the county budget and approved the funding direction to partner with the City of Wausau on emergency shelter services, with the county share capped at $175,000 in fiscal 2026.

Looking ahead, committee members asked administration to return with more detailed budget language, timelines for any provider transitions, and clarity about how the new coordinator position would coordinate case management, treatment referrals and long-term housing strategies.