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Marathon County board previews tentative 2026 budget, signals levy pressure and wage adjustments
Summary
Marathon County administrators presented a tentative 2026 budget with a proposed levy of $61,425,481 and a $3.50 mill rate; the county reports a roughly 5.55% average increase in wage costs as it implements a wage study and removed the equivalent of about 15 FTEs to balance costs.
The Marathon County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 3 heard an overview of the tentative 2026 budget that proposes a $61,425,481 tax levy and a $3.50 mill rate, with final adoption scheduled for the board’s Nov. 11 meeting.
Administrator Lance Leonard told the board that "Marathon County continues to be a very well managed fiscal organization," citing local economic indicators — a 1.61% net new construction rate and 9% equalized-value growth — as factors that temper but do not eliminate budget pressures. Leonard said the county’s 2026 proposal reflects prioritizing employee compensation, protecting capital reserves and maintaining service levels.
Leonard said departments and staff took a number of cost-cutting steps during budget preparation, including defunding "the equivalent about 15 full time equivalent positions throughout the county." He described other measures as "sound fiscal practice," noting that the proposed budget uses no general fund reserves and does not issue new debt for 2026.
On wages, Leonard said the county is implementing a multi-department wage study that reclassified positions and increased starting rates in multiple job classes. "When you compare pure 2025 all in wage cost to 26, it is about 5.55%," he said, while stressing that some individual positions saw much larger changes when reclassified (examples discussed included certain social-services and sheriff’s-office positions).
Committee changes and capital items were highlighted by HR Finance & Property Committee Chair Robinson, who noted a committee amendment of $525,000 to the capital projects budget to include a jail chiller project and other fee adjustments (dog license increases, POUTS fee changes). Robinson said the bulk of the levy increase is associated with sheriff operations and debt service.
Administrator Leonard also explained the county’s debt-servicing picture: Marathon County will service $7,714,894 in existing debt next year, and North Central Healthcare is servicing roughly $3,000,000 of that amount with operational revenues, a portion Leonard said does not go on the county’s debt levy.
The clerk read the formal public notice and budget summary to the room: tentative levy $61,425,481; mill rate $3.50; equalized value $17,547,049,400. Chair Gibbs opened the public hearing twice; no members of the public spoke.
The board will review committee recommendations at an HR Finance & Property meeting on Nov. 10 and is scheduled to vote on final approval on Nov. 11.
Ending: The board recessed debate and set the next procedural steps: committee review Nov. 10 and a full board vote Nov. 11 on the tentative 2026 budget.
