Wausau finance committee frames 2026 budget, flags gap for SAFER-funded public-safety positions

The City of Wausau Finance Committee reviewed a proposed 2026 budget at a Finance Committee meeting at City Hall, where staff said the plan meets state levy- and expenditure-restraint requirements but uses one-time revenues and program cuts to cover rising costs and an impending grant cliff for public-safety positions.

City staff summarized why the budget matters and the immediate risks. Mary Anne, a City of Wausau staff member, told the committee the proposed levy is roughly $38.0 million — an increase of about $738,946, or about 1.98% over the prior year — and that the package “meets both” the levy‑limit and expenditure‑restraint requirements. She said the budget includes a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for nonrepresented employees, 4% for public‑safety employees per union contracts, and a 9.5% rise in health‑insurance costs.

Why it matters: staff said the city faces an approximately $4 million increase in external costs driven by inflation, higher health‑insurance and garbage‑contract costs, and the scheduled expiration of grant funding that currently covers 15 public‑safety positions. Without a revenue change, staff proposed a mix of vacancy savings, one‑time revenues and service reductions to balance 2026 and outlined a potential referendum for an ongoing levy increase to sustain the positions.

Most important details

• Public‑safety positions and grants: Staff said 15 public‑safety positions created since 2021 are currently grant‑funded: 12 firefighters (nine funded by the FEMA SAFER grant and three funded…