The Wausau Common Council voted 9-2 on Nov. 25 to override the mayor's veto and adopt the finance committee's 2026 budget and general property tax as previously approved.

The mayor summarized his veto message before the vote, saying the city faces a looming tax increase: "We have a $1,400,000 tax hike looming," and outlining staffing numbers that he said underpin the concern: the city currently has 356 employees (down from 332 pre-2020), and he said the council could close much of a projected 2027 funding gap by reducing roughly 12 full-time equivalents, a roughly 3.4% adjustment.

Why it matters: the vote settles the 2026 spending plan and tax levy before the end of the year, which alder members said would also prevent delays in tax-bill mailings that affected residents' ability to claim federal deductions. Council supporters said funding for 2026 is in place and that planning on the 2027 shortfall should begin immediately; opponents and public commenters warned against singling out public-safety staffing.

Resident Cooper Johnson, speaking during public comment, pressed city leaders on transparency and the timing of figures released publicly, asking: "Why are unverified numbers about firefighting and park savings going to the public before they can go to finance to be properly reviewed?" Johnson also argued firefighters are fully funded for 2026 and that the referendum addresses 2027.

Council members who supported the override said the 2026 budget is funded and that work on longer-term structural issues should continue in the coming year. Opponents who voted no expressed lingering concerns about the approach to future cuts and the mayor's use of publicly released savings projections.

The override restores the finance committee's previously passed budget; the council will consider budget modifications and potential savings proposals during the upcoming year.

Next steps: with the override adopted, the 2026 budget will be implemented as approved unless amended through the council's standard budget-modification process.