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Committee begins 2026 budget guidance: focus on mandated vs. discretionary services, fees and UW Extension impacts
Summary
Marathon County staff asked the Extension Education and Economic Development Committee to prioritize programs and provide early guidance for the 2026 budget, emphasizing distinctions between statutorily mandated services and discretionary programs, fee-setting limits, and implications for UW Extension and the county library.
County administrators told the Extension Education and Economic Development Committee on Thursday that early, committee-level guidance is needed to shape the 2026 Marathon County budget and that three policy questions should drive decisions: what services the county should provide, at what service level, and at what cost (fees).
“Committees are encouraged to look at the programs and prioritize them,” said HR Finance and Property Committee Chair Robinson via Webex, asking committees to consider mandated versus discretionary programs and to propose priorities that will inform the administrator’s draft budget.
Administrator Leonard said Marathon…
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