The Wausau Room Tax Commission approved funding for several local events and infrastructure items for calendar year 2026 and denied one arts-marketing request after commissioners said the proposal did not show sufficient tourism return.

Actions taken (votes at a glance)

- Wings Over Wausau — approved $20,000 (motion by Henke; second by Wolitsky). Commissioners discussed regional draw for 2026, sponsorship outreach and strategies to book more rooms in Wausau proper. The event’s organizers said they are pursuing regional sponsors and expect the 2026 show to draw beyond the immediate area because other regional air shows are not operating that year.

- Fourth of July fireworks — approved $10,000. The events organizer said recent federal tariffs on fireworks increased costs and the budget reflects a roughly 30% tariff band; the commission approved the requested support and discussed marketing links to hotel booking engines to capture overnight stays.

- Truckfest — approved $2,500 (same level as last year). Organizers said the event is drawing more out-of-area interest and noted downtown placement showcases recent redevelopment.

- Grand Theater (2026 season) — approved the standing $30,000 marketing allocation.

- Center for Visual Arts (CVA) guest curator and marketing request — denied (commission voted to fund at $0; motion to fund at $0 moved by Vandyak and seconded by Lewitsky; recorded outcome 3–1). Commissioners said the CVA application did not provide sufficient evidence that the $6,500 request would generate meaningful room nights or measurable tourism return; several commissioners suggested revisiting the program after at least one season of results.

- Trail development — approved a one-year $50,000 allocation for calendar year 2026 to support bike-and-ped trail development and placemaking (motion carried). Staff said the funds would augment existing grant-seeking and enable more consistent project planning; commissioners requested an annual plan and milestone reporting before future appropriations.

- Downtown flower baskets — a motion to fund $15,000 for flower-basket maintenance from room-tax dollars failed (motion did not carry; recorded as 2 yes, 2 no). Commissioners expressed concern about using tourism funds for recurring operating or maintenance expenses and about setting a precedent that could expand room-tax eligibility beyond marketing and visitor-focused infrastructure.

- RiverLife pier maintenance — approved $6,900 for pier maintenance for 2026 to preserve river access and support recreational use of the Great Pinery National Waterway.

Context and clarifications

Commissioners separated event awards for individual consideration rather than a single package. Multiple awards included matching contributions from other municipalities: organizers reported commitments from Rothschild and Weston for portions of certain events. Where organizers reported sponsorships or donations, commissioners probed whether funds were pass-throughs, dedicated to programming or would directly support marketing that drives overnight stays.

On the CVA request, commissioners requested more detail on projected out-of-area marketing and hotel-night estimates; the commission opted to deny the current request and to encourage the CVA to return after running the program and collecting impact data. On trails, the commission approved a one-year allocation but explicitly asked for a yearly plan showing how funds would be spent and what milestones would indicate progress.

Speakers and attributions in this article are taken from the meeting record: Wausau Events representative Pete Velasco; Carrie Edmondson, assistant city planner; Tim White (for tourism-context questions); Chairman Martins and commissioners Henke, Levitsky, Vandyak, Wolitsky and Lewitsky.