Committee approves $5,000 sponsorship for Marathon County hosting of Alice in Dairyland

Marathon County’s Extension Education and Economic Development Committee approved a $5,000 sponsorship to support Marathon County’s role as host for the statewide Alice in Dairyland program. Jenny Rudolph, co‑chair of the local steering committee and an officer of the Partnership for Progressive Agriculture, asked the committee for a gold‑level sponsorship to allow the county logo to appear on promotional materials during a host year that runs through May 2026.

Rudolph said the total event budget is $79,000 and that organizers had raised $23,350 to date. The county’s gold-level sponsorship would help cover event costs including the finalist briefing and the finale events in March–May 2026, plus travel and lodging for the statewide representative during appearances in Marathon County.

County Administrator Lance Leonard said the county may be able to accommodate the sponsorship through a special projects fund within administration; if the committee approved an in‑year allocation, the action would require a budget amendment to identify a funding source and secure HR/Finance approval. Leonard also reported he had consulted with Corporation Counsel, who advised that under Chapter 59 the county is empowered to allocate funds for agricultural advocacy and related promotional activities.

Motion and vote: Supervisor Hagen moved to donate $5,000 to Alice in Dairyland at the supportive (gold) level; motion passed unanimously.

The committee directed staff to forward the request to HR/Finance with a proposed funding source or to include the allocation in the 2026 budget process, depending on the preferred accounting approach. Organizers noted that other Wisconsin counties typically provide sponsorships in the $3,000–$10,000 range.