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Infrastructure committee approves 2026 DOT maintenance agreement, Marathon County allocation rises $269,500
Summary
The Marathon County Infrastructure Committee approved the Wisconsin DOT’s 2026 Routine Maintenance Agreement, which includes a $269,500 increase for Marathon County based on a level-of-service formula. DOT officials said the region also saw larger improvement-program funding that moved projects forward.
The Marathon County Infrastructure Committee on Dec. 4 approved the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s 2026 Routine Maintenance Agreement (RMA), which includes a $269,500 increase for Marathon County.
Mike Kretchmer, a DOT North Central Region representative, told the committee the statewide RMA budget rose by $11,600,000 and that the region’s share is about $1,465,000. "Based on the LOS model, that's where Marathon County got the $269,500 for increase for this year's RMA," Kretchmer said.
Why it matters: The RMA funds routine upkeep on state highways performed by county crews — tasks such as general patching, mowing, brush cutting, shoulder maintenance and snow plowing. County officials said contracting to perform state maintenance both expedites projects and helps manage local labor and equipment costs.
Kretchmer outlined how other DOT funding pots are used alongside the RMA. He said performance-based maintenance funding for the region is $2,178,000 this year, primarily used for crack sealing, and described growing use of local force accounts (LFAs) to address safety-type work. He also said the improvement program budget for the region has risen substantially — from roughly $65–75 million to about $110–115 million annually — allowing the region to move 90 projects forward and add about 25 projects into the 2026–2031 program.
Committee discussion focused on funding sources and staffing. Supervisor Griner asked whether the additional RMA funds were state or federal; Kretchmer replied that maintenance-side increases are mostly state funds while the improvement side can include federal dollars. Supervisor Storyberg asked how state work affects county payroll; county staff said some employees split time between state and county projects and that the added funds help cover wage and equipment cost increases.
Action taken: Chair requested a motion to approve the RMA. A motion "by Supervisor Sorbert, second by Supervisor Griner" carried unanimously, the chair said.
What’s next: DOT staff noted multi-year improvement program maps are available on the DOT GIS website and are updated regularly; county staff will continue coordinating state contract work and project closeouts.
Sources: Marathon County Infrastructure Committee transcript; DOT North Central Region briefing.
