WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Tonight’s Wausau City Council meeting and Marathon County Board meeting could decide if Wausau residents pay a double wheel tax for the time being, as both the city and the county are looking for funding for road repair projects.
Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke has asked the county for a portion of their tax collections to avoid a Wausau tax, but he said follow-ups have not been what he was hoping for.
“It’s not like I’ve just got my hand out, either with them or, in particular, with the state. These are monies that we’ve already paid into their funds, and frankly, I think Wausau should be getting its fair share back,” said Mielke.
“There are enough problems out in the rural areas, there’s a lot of bridges that need to be fixed. The part is, Wausau maintains about eight-to-ten miles of county roads that we don’t get any help on. Stuff like that has just got to stop.”
Wausau’s Council is also voting on repealing an ordinance requiring a public referendum on new fees to potentially enact a wheel tax without vocal opposition striking it down. That’s something Mayor Mielke is against, as he feels all it would take is a little education on the issue to see the city’s side.
He said, “If you explain to folks in an open, honest, direct, and, yes, realistic way, they get it. They understand. They understand the situation that we’re in as far as road projects being behind, that we do have issues with our roads, and ‘Ok, it’s $20.’”
“I do believe the residents have the right for a referendum. I’m going to be proposing that [Tuesday] night before the meeting, before public comment, before everybody gets upset, that I want to try to bring this to referendum on November 8th.”
Marathon County could also choose to allocate about $650,000 to Wausau, which the mayor has said would remove the need for a city tax entirely. The Marathon County tax is considered a done deal by several county board members and Wausau officials, all that remains is the formal vote tonight.