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Wausau HR committee approves 3% COLA for non-represented employees
Summary
The Wausau Human Resources Committee approved a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for non-represented city employees for 2026, a measure the HR director said was meant to reduce turnover; the committee noted the $387,227 financial implication and passed the motion unanimously.
The City of Wausau Human Resources Committee on Nov. 10 approved a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for non-represented employees for 2026.
Natalie, the HR director, told the committee the recommendation reflected labor-market trends and Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing wages and salaries for state and local government workers rose about 4.1 percent in the 12-month period cited. "I think 3% is a nice number because as the amount fluctuates throughout the year, I think that 3% is easy to budget," the HR director said.
Committee members discussed how the flat COLA would interact with merit-based increases and employees already at the top of their pay range. One member asked whether employees also receive merit increases; the HR director explained that employees who have "topped out" generally do not receive additional merit increases and that some staff may only receive the COLA when they are at the top of their pay range.
The committee recorded the financial implication of the COLA at $387,227. Oliver Martins noted the COLA amount had already been included in the 2026 budget. A committee member urged caution about automatically spending budgeted amounts, saying, "just because it's in the budget, that doesn't mean it has to stay in the budget."
Chair called for a motion to accept the COLA; the motion (recorded in the transcript as "motion by Martin") was seconded and the committee voted in favor. The chair declared the motion passed unanimously.
The committee did not adopt a formal carve-out at the meeting to withhold COLA for underperforming employees but discussed the possibility of a pay-for-performance matrix in the future. The HR director said she would follow up on policy options and comparative market data.
