MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – In its recent budget meeting, the Marshfield City Council approved a series of cuts across multiple departments to balance the city’s 2025 budget, allowing for critical employee benefits and position retention. The proposed budget will go to a public hearing before it is finalized and formally approved.
Major Budget Cuts and Adjustments
The council approved significant reductions to align the budget with available resources, cutting costs to restore a 2.5% raise for non-represented employees and city contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These cuts also enabled the retention of a document processor role within the IT department, a position the city had previously planned to eliminate.
Key cuts included:
- $20,000 reduction to funding for Main Street Marshfield,
- Removal of $30,000 initially allocated to the pickleball court lighting project,
- $24,000 in savings from delaying the hiring of a new Public Works Director,
- Eliminating six non-essential conferences, including the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Conference for both the City Council and the Mayor, and
- Removing the city’s funding contribution to a Foundation Development Director position, which will be revisited once the position is filled.
These budget adjustments were designed to balance the immediate needs of the city while preserving funds for essential staffing and operations.
Public Works Director Vacancy
The resignation of Public Works Director Tom Tury created additional challenges. The council approved measures to reallocate the unspent $24,000 from this vacancy, temporarily addressing other budget needs while exploring options for filling this critical role. Interim leadership or consulting services may be considered to maintain departmental operations until a permanent director is hired.
Focus on Essential Benefits and Staffing
While the city tightened its budget on several fronts, the council prioritized restoring a 2.5% raise for non-represented employees, originally slated for a lower percentage, and the city’s contributions to employee HSAs. The decision to maintain the document processor role in IT underscored the city’s commitment to supporting current employees and avoiding further disruptions to essential services.
Next Steps Toward Final Budget Approval
This proposed budget, which the council intends to finalize after a public hearing, reflects Marshfield’s efforts to preserve essential services and employee benefits while managing tight fiscal constraints. Council members will reconvene after the public hearing to consider any last adjustments before approving the 2025 budget in full.
We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!
Author: News Desk
This piece was posted by our news team! Contact us or submit stories at [email protected].
