Wausau City Hall. MWC file photo.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Finance Committee officially has its hands on the 2027 city budget.
Mayor Doug Diny opened Monday’s budget workshop with a four-minute statement, noting that he gave all department heads orders to cut spending. “We asked for a 2% decrease in cost to continue,” said Diny.
That means four positions will be held open, saving more than $400,000. Other smaller items were also cut.
Despite those cuts, residents will still see an increase in their 2027 tax bill to fund $1.45 million for additional firefighter/paramedic positions within the fire department. Current estimates show the mill rate increasing nearly 50 cents, to about $9.24 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The spending plan also includes money for a potential city manager or administrator, who could be at the forefront of the effort to conduct a full-blown audit of the city’s finances and procedures. “I envision a city administrator [as] an opportunity to—to hire someone to review and implement recommendations for our potentially pending citywide audit.”
Diny also confirmed that the budget does not propose new fees, though some existing fees have been adjusted. The Finance Committee will hold three additional budget sessions this week. A formal budget hearing will be held later this fall, before Alders take a final vote on the plan in late November.
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