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Committee debates homelessness funding; budget carries emergency shelter money and a proposed health-department coordinator
Summary
Supervisors discussed whether to reallocate proposed emergency-shelter funds toward case management, but left funding in the 2026 budget for emergency shelter access. The committee directed staff to continue coordinating with the City of Wausau and said the Health Department position could clarify service gaps.
Marathon County supervisors spent extensive time debating how to use limited 2026 budget resources to address homelessness, balancing emergency shelter access against longer-term case management and re-entry supports.
The committee did not change its direction to fund emergency shelter access in 2026. Administrator Leonard said the Board had previously approved a 2025 resolution that amended the budget to allocate up to $200,000 to support emergency-shelter services, and the proposed 2026 budget carries a county share of up to $175,000 consistent with direction from the Health and Human Services Committee. Leonard described the 2025 allocation as a one-time amendment and said some funds will carry forward into 2026.
Supervisor Lemmer pressed for a portion of the county’s $175,000 commitment to be reserved for a health-department coordinator or expanded case management so the county can create “pathways to stability” rather than only meeting nightly shelter needs. Lemmer said emergency shelter addresses immediate needs but “we need to pay attention to the gaps” such as case management and pathways back to community housing.
Chair Gibbs and other supervisors urged caution about diverting shelter operations money. Gibbs said removing county funding for emergency shelter could create a “bigger hole” for the City of Wausau and generate instability for current operations. Vice Chair Dickinson asked staff to confirm the scope of prior board action and the fiscal note; staff confirmed the 2025 resolution’s fiscal note described “shelter access,” and that the county’s 2026 budget proposal reflects the Health and Human Services Committee’s direction to continue funding access to emergency shelter services.
Administrator Leonard outlined the funding sources proposed for 2026: a $75,000 carryforward from 2025, $50,000 held in contingency (to be used as needed), and $50,000 expected from County Administration special-projects funding. Staff said the county will monitor actual invoicing from the City of Wausau (which contracted for emergency shelter services with an operator under an RFP) and would only expend contingency or special-project funds as necessary. Leonard also said that the county’s public-health coordinator position included in the 2026 budget would be tasked with clarifying county roles, identifying service gaps and coordinating with partners before new permanent spending decisions are made.
No final vote was taken to reallocate the emergency-shelter dollars to case management; supervisors agreed to maintain the emergency shelter funding in the proposed 2026 budget and to rely on the new health-department role to map gaps and recommend follow-up funding. The committee also noted that any additional or redirected funding would require return to the Board for approval and that budget amendments remain possible through Nov. 11 before adoption.
