City of Marshfield Budget Includes Tax Increases, Service Cuts

MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – On Thursday, the City of Marshfield Common Council met to finalize and approve the recommended 2023 budget. The budget includes a tax increase of 1.04% (from 10.51 to 10.619327) and a new Street Light Tax, as well as approximately $800,000 (about 3.54%) in cuts from the General Fund to balance the budget. (For background on the budget, click here.) A public hearing will be held November 30, at which point the public can provide input.

The street light tax involves an additional fee (approximately $2) on every utility bill per month for those who own property within city limits.

Reductions/cuts include:

• Reduce $125,000 in Law enforcement budget
• Reduce $50,000 in Fire Prevention budget
• Reduce $135,204 in employee HSA contributions
• Eliminate Associate Planner position (currently vacant)
• Eliminate Wild Wednesdays program
• Eliminate education and training for HR Director
• Delaying replacement of HR administrator support for 2 months
• Eliminate contribution to Civic Band
• Eliminate contribution to North Wood County Historic Society
• Reduce exterior window washing at City Hall
• Reduce mowing parks to 1x/week
• Eliminate purchase of salt reserves for roads
• Eliminate curbside brush/branch collection and curbside yard waste.
• Eliminate Part-Time library position
• Reduce Vandehey Waters hours
• Reduce zoo hours
• (see full list here)

Alderman Ed Wagner moved to approve the budget and Alderman Adam Fischer seconded the motion, which passed: Aye – 5 (Tompkins, Wagner, Fischer, Spiros, O’Reilly); Nay – 4 (Feirer, Varsho, Witzel, Hendler); Absent – Poeschel.

In a separate motion, the Council removed the City’s contribution to employee HSA accounts from the list of cuts before the final vote. Vote was Aye – 7; Nay – 2 (Tompkins and Spiros).

(In another separate motion, Council approved a number of changes proposed by Finance staff, making administrative corrections from what was shown in the City Administrator’s recommended budget. Most of these corrections were for insurance renewals, where staff had been working with estimates but now have firm numbers.)

A public hearing will be held November 30. Citizens who wish to provide input to the budget can contact their alderman or attend the hearing.

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