Infrastructure committee unanimously forwards WCA transportation funding resolution to county board

Marathon County’s Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously to forward a resolution from the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) asking the state to address current and projected transportation funding shortfalls.

County staffer Kevin told the committee that the state gas tax has not been indexed since 2006 and “the actual buying power of that from 2006 to 2024 has diminished by 32%,” leaving transportation budgets vulnerable if one‑time surplus dollars are no longer available. The resolution asks counties to speak with a collective voice to urge sustainable changes to transportation funding.

Supervisor Jensen moved to forward the resolution; Supervisor Soybert seconded the motion. With no further debate, committee members voted to advance the item to the full county board for consideration.

The resolution is advisory to the county board; committee members and staff discussed the role of one‑time federal pandemic funds and warned the surplus that has temporarily bolstered transportation budgets may not persist. Staff did not propose a specific funding mechanism in committee; the resolution primarily signals county support for statewide reform and further action at the county‑board level.

Next steps: the resolution will appear on the agenda of the full county board, where members can debate any specific policy language or additional county actions.