Wausau Finance Committee Budget Session #2 - 10/6/26

The City of Wausau Finance Committee’s second 2027 budget session on October 6, 2026, reviewed proposed budgets for police, fire, transit, and general government. No budget vote or formal amendment was recorded; members discussed bringing written amendments to a later session. Police described a cost-to-continue budget and savings from ending its crossing-guard contract with All City Management Services and staffing crossing guards directly, estimated at $40,000–$45,000 annually, plus about $5,000 in annual carpet-service savings. The department proposed reducing its CSO budget by about $45,000 and retaining $18,500 rather than $37,000 for non-dog strays. It plans to seek a new school-resource-officer agreement requiring the school district to cover 100% of nine months’ costs, which could add about $56,000 in annual revenue. Members debated retaining approximately $50,000 for Flock ALPR cameras; the chief cited the existing contract through December 31, 2028, and potential liability for ending funding, while some members raised privacy concerns. No decision was made.

Fire proposed buying a robotic mower to replace a $10,000 mowing budget, continuing to defer an operations-division-chief vacancy until July 2027, and leaving a retiring position vacant for six months; it also cited planned training reductions and potential continuation of the community-care-paramedic position after its trial period. Transit reported an $81,635 reduction through budget adjustments and said 10 new buses are expected to reduce fuel and maintenance costs. The FTA will cover the CAT AVL system for the next two years using ARPA funds, with ongoing costs expected after 2029; a proposed Umo/WisGo fare system has not yet come before the council. General government discussed replacing a Westlaw subscription costing nearly $700 per month with LexisNexis at an introductory rate of about $50 per month, while retaining a $75,000 outside-legal-services budget. Members also debated the proposed $150,000 allocation for a potential city administrator, with some urging that funds instead support an audit or be removed pending further decisions; no action was taken. A proposed pet-license fee amendment was discussed but not voted on.