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County administrators present preliminary 2026 budget assumptions; pay and insurance costs top priorities
Summary
Marathon County officials outlined initial budget assumptions for the 2026 budget cycle, highlighting employee compensation, uncertain shared revenue numbers after state budget changes, an insurance cost estimate that committee members questioned, and an iterative timetable for assumptions to be finalized in committee before the September budget.
Supervisor Robinson and County Administrator Sam Leonard presented initial assumptions to guide development of the 2026 budget and urged supervisors to treat the numbers as preliminary as state and market items change.
Robinson said the assumptions are an early step in a “fluid and iterative” budget process and asked supervisors to provide committee input. Administrator Leonard said he will circulate the full presentation to supervisors and emphasized a push for efficiency: “One of the messages that I give invariably every year to staff is a challenge that we need to be even more efficient than we were last year.”
Officials highlighted two items they expect to change: shared revenue estimates and insurance costs. Leonard said recent state budget actions exempting certain sales-tax categories reduced the county’s shared-revenue estimate and the Wisconsin Counties Association was asked to provide updated numbers to counties. On property insurance and other insurance costs, Leonard told the board the HR Finance packet included a 16.5% increase estimate supplied by the county broker; he cautioned that “that is not the increase we're gonna see” and that staff would work with carriers to mitigate the impact.
On labor costs, Leonard said the county’s wage scale adopted in 2022 has not been adjusted to reflect recent market changes and initial consultant work indicates the scale “needs to have a pretty significant shift in the neighborhood of 10%.” He said final costing and an implementation plan are expected to be available in August and that the administrator will present a draft budget to the full board in September with adoption targeted in November.
Supervisors discussed how assumptions will drive department behavior, including efforts to reduce energy and health-care costs and the possible creation of a county wellness clinic. Robinson noted that some assumptions, including state-set items such as general transportation aid and Wisconsin Retirement System contributions, are beyond county control.
Next steps: HR Finance and Property Committee will finalize assumptions at its upcoming meeting and staff will circulate detailed materials and cost estimates before committee votes.
