Marathon County committee approves budget moves to add homelessness coordinator, okays shelter funding

Administrator Lance Leonard told the Marathon County Health and Human Services Committee that, following direction from the joint city-county homelessness task force, county staff identified funding by reallocating an existing personnel line to create a public health coordinator position focused on homelessness and coordinated services.

The committee moved to advance the new position request for the 2026 budget. A motion to proceed with the new position was made, seconded and approved by the committee (vote recorded in the meeting as five "aye" votes). Leonard said the proposal is based on La Crosse County's Pathways Home model and that a position description adapted from La Crosse was included in the meeting packet (page 70).

Leonard also briefed the committee on ongoing emergency shelter payments the county has made under a 2025 allocation of up to $200,000 to partner with the City of Wausau. He said the city’s contract with Bridge Street Mission shows a total cost of about $350,000 for 2026; Marathon County’s share would be up to $175,000…