Marathon County leaders highlight 2026 budget priorities, timelines and deferred capital needs

Marathon County Administrator Leonard outlined key elements of the proposed 2026 county budget at the Infrastructure Committee meeting on Oct. 2, 2025, saying the plan implements the county's wage study, reduces the tax rate and relies on targeted use of reserves to protect key services.

Leonard said the administrators' proposal — which the Human Resources, Finance and Property Committee accepted earlier in the week — reflects direction from the full county board and standing committees and is now the county board's budget for deliberation. “This is going to be shared sacrifice,” Leonard said of department-level budget adjustments.

The budget as proposed reduces the county's tax rate while also funding the board's top priorities, according to Leonard. The proposal funds implementation of a wage study and provides continued funding to address homelessness, and it also includes a contingency allocation for the board-approved minimum revenue guarantee program. Leonard said department leaders identified savings and deferments that allowed the county to…