The Marshfield Common Council on Dec. 16 approved a budget cleanup resolution that adjusts several fund accounts and authorized a staff-recommended process to temporarily fill the municipal court judge vacancy created by Judge Cruz’s resignation.

Finance staff presented budget resolution 25-2025 as a cleanup of items that arose after the 2025 budget was adopted. Finance Director Jennifer Zelensky said the adjustments include a $70,000 increase in professional services supported by higher room-tax collections, a $30,000 transfer to parks-and-recreation capital outlay, a $40,915 increase to the economic development land account related to developer buybacks, $105,000 added to debt-service fiscal agent charges, and TID 13 adjustments including $380,000 for repairs and $95,664 for developer incentives. The council voted to adopt the resolution.

Separately, City Administrator Steve Bargue outlined the process for replacing Municipal Judge Cruz, who resigned effective Jan. 9. Because the municipal court serves Marshfield and the villages of Spencer and Stratford, Bargue said any temporary appointment would require approval by all three governing bodies and that a special election would be required later to fill the unexpired term. Bargue recommended advertising for a temporary appointment limited to licensed attorneys who reside within the three municipalities, convening a joint review team to evaluate responses, and forwarding any recommendation back to the three bodies. The council approved moving forward with that process.

Before adjourning to closed session under Wisconsin Statutes governing deliberations in which competitive or bargaining reasons require confidentiality, council members voted to go into closed session to discuss a proposed residential development financing request and other bargaining items with Marathon County.

What’s next: staff will advertise the temporary municipal judge appointment if the other two municipalities concur; the budget changes take effect per the resolution adopted by the council.