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Marathon County raises dog license fees, ties future increases to CPI
Summary
The committee approved an amendment to Section 3.3 of the Marathon County General Code to raise dog license fees beginning in the 2026 licensing year and to index future increases to the consumer price index; the change passed unanimously.
MARATHON COUNTY — The Human Resources, Finance and Property Committee voted unanimously to modify Marathon County’s dog license tax section so fees increase for the 2026 licensing year and future annual adjustments can be tied to the consumer price index.
Committee members said the county has not changed dog license fees since 2001 and collections have lagged the county’s contractual obligations with the local humane society. "The county has not increased our dog license fees since 2001," said Kim (staff member), who presented the proposal and the packet materials. She told the committee municipalities forwarded roughly $30,000 to $35,000 in recent years — well below a $100,000 annual contract figure the humane society had sought.
Administrator Leonard and staff said indexing the license fee to the CPI and including adjustments in the county fee schedule will help reduce the annual shortfall and keep collections more closely aligned to program costs. The county estimated that if the same number of dog owners license their animals next year, the higher fees would increase revenue to about $75,000 — an increase that narrows but does not completely eliminate the gap.
Vice Chair Marshall moved approval and Supervisor Hart seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
What happens next: The ordinance language will be incorporated into the county fee schedule and take effect with the 2026 licensing year, and the Board’s future budget adoptions will implement CPI‑based adjustments unless the Board directs otherwise.
