Wausau finance committee advances 2026 budget and fee schedule but punts pet-license decision to council

The City of Wausau Finance Committee on Oct. 28 recommended a 2026 budget and fee schedule to the full City Council but removed pet license fees from its approval so the council can consider changes at its meeting that evening.

City staff told the committee the city had been working with an estimated assessed valuation while waiting for the state to provide manufacturing values. The actual assessed valuation rose 1.36% rather than the 1.5% estimate used for earlier budget work, producing a net tax-rate change: staff said the recommended budget would result in a 3-cent increase in the tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value compared with the prior year. "We had estimated a 1 and a half percent increase. It came in at a 1.36% increase... the net change to the taxpayer if the budget would be adopted as recommended by finance would be a 3¢ increase from the prior year," a city staff member said.

Committee discussion focused heavily on proposed increases to pet-license fees. Several alderpersons said higher fees would disproportionately affect elderly and low-income residents and could discourage licensing. "I'm not gonna support the fee schedule because I voted against the pet license and I still am against that," Alder McElhinney said. Alder Tunney also said they would not support the increase.

Staff explained part of the increase stems from a county-level change: Marathon County raised the amount it requires municipalities to remit, which in turn raises the total fee the city must collect and forward. A city staff member said, "The statutes specify that we have to remit funds annually to the county. They use that, for their pet obligations. ... It's to pay for the humane society for all the dogs that are brought in." The committee heard that the county increased its spayed/neutered fee by $7 and that county charges for non-neutered animals also rose.

Committee members debated several compromise figures and the size of a microchip discount used to reduce license fees; options discussed included keeping the city portion near prior levels or moving to an even-dollar rate to simplify calculations. After discussion the committee voted to adopt the 2026 fee schedule with one explicit exclusion: the pet-animal license fees. "Maybe the motion should be to adopt this without the pet licenses because that will get considered and adopted by council tonight," a city staff member said; Alder Watson moved to approve the fee schedule without the pet-animal license fees and Alder Tierney seconded; the committee approved that motion by voice vote.

Staff said the rest of the fee schedule will return to Council on Nov. 11, and the pet-license fees will be considered at the Council meeting the evening of Oct. 28. The committee did not change other fee lines such as tee-hangar rents, alley encroachment fees, or special-assessment review fees during the discussion.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved the fee schedule excluding pet-animal license fees (motion by Alder Watson, second by Alder Tierney); no roll-call tallies were recorded in committee minutes.