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Marathon County committee hears staffing, fees and capital constraints as 2026 budget planning begins
Summary
County administrators told the Extension Education & Economic Development Committee that a new compensation study points to a roughly 7.65% pay adjustment need, while net new construction is only 1.61%, forcing staff to weigh fee increases, grant maximization and cuts to programs or capital projects as the 2026 budget is developed.
County Administrator Leonard told the Marathon County Extension Education & Economic Development Committee on July 3 that staff will build the 2026 budget around findings from a recent compensation study and other rising costs, but that limited revenue growth will force trade-offs.
Leonard said the county’s compensation ranges are about 10% below market and staff’s ‘‘best estimates are that that amount is 7.65%,’’ which would be a significant lift to implement. He also said the county’s preliminary net new construction figure this year is 1.61%, below the board’s earlier estimate of 1.75 and far less than what would be needed to fully fund the compensation changes.
The administrator said other cost pressures — notably health insurance renewals and retirement contribution increases — mean the effective cost pressure could be closer to 10% when blended. ‘‘The health insurance market is 8 to 10%. . . . We budgeted assumption of 6.5. We’re gonna work really hard to to get toward that,’’ Leonard said.
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