$6 septic fee approved by narrow vote

By Kevin O’Brien

Debate over a new $6 annual fee for septic tank owners consumed nearly an hour of the Marathon County Board’s latest meeting last Thursday.

Before ultimately voting 19-14 to approve the fee, supervisors went back and forth on whether it was fair to shift the cost of a statemandated maintenance program from the general tax levy to rural residents who are not connected to municipal sewer systems.

The decision came after a robust debate over what county services should be paid for by all taxpayers and which should be charged directly to those who benefit from those services. The conversation unfolded in the context of the county administrator’s upcoming 2026 budget proposal, which is expected to include multiple fee hikes and funding cuts due to a limited increase in tax revenue for next year.

Supervisor Allen Drabek spoke for many board members who represent the largely rural portion of the county west of Wausau, who voted as a block against the new fee.

“My constituents do not want me to vote for any fees,” he said. “They’re sick of fees.”

Several supervisors pointed out that septic tank owners already have to pay between $100 and $300 every time they have their tanks pumped and inspected. Other board members, however, noted that the roughly $150,000 cost of running the maintenance program is currently paid for by all taxpayers, including those who already pay utility bills for municipal water and sewer.

Supervisor John Robinson also noted that the county’s $57 million property tax levy only covers a portion of its $200 million budget, so the board needs to seriously consider any new revenue streams to offset the cost of providing services that residents expect.

“We can’t keep providing the level of service that we have in the county if we we don’t look to fees, and this fee before us today is a direct fee on the property that benefits the property on which it is assessed,” he

See FEE/ page 3 said. “If you don’t like the fees, then tell me where you’re going to cut because we’re going to need to do it because our budgets are increasingly tight.”

Because the board can only increase taxes by the percent of net new construction within the county, it will be limited to about $1 million in additional tax revenue next year. County administrator Lance Leonhard said just the cost of implementing a new wage schedule – which he says is necessary to retain quality employees – will be $3.5 million.

Leonhard said spending cuts are also on the table, as he plans to recommend defunding at least 15 vacant positions in 2026.

Supervisor Chris Dickinson reminded other supervisors that they were voting a specific fee, not the budget itself, but he wanted to know why the county doesn’t seem to have a “standardized approach” when deciding what is paid for with fees and what is paid for by taxes.

“If we are going to impose a $6 fee upon citizens to recoup $125,000 but not take $125,000 out of the levy, I would like for someone to explain to me where that other $125,000 is going,” he said.

Leonhard said he couldn’t say for sure where that $150,000 would go in the budget.

“If you approve the fee, I will build it into the budget,” he said. “If you don’t, I won’t and I’ll (still) bring to you a balanced budget.”

When it comes to a strategy for evaluating fees, Leonhard said the county doesn’t have a specific one in place, but he said all departments are looking at what they could be charging for services and how much more they could be increased.

Board chairman Kurt Gibbs, who ended up voting against the new fee, noted that 31 other counties already charge a fee, some as high as $20, to administer their septic tank maintenance program.

“As much I may dislike fees myself, when you take look at the fee that’s being proposed, that pays exclusively for the program,” he said.

Supervisor Brandon Jensen argued that maintaining septic systems should be the responsibility of all taxpayers in the county, since it prevents tanks from leaking into the groundwater.

“It doesn’t just benefit the local owner,” he said. “It benefits the county at large.”

When asked what the maintenance program entails, zoning administrator Shad Harvey said private septic systems are required to be pumped and maintained every three years, so every year, the Conservation, Planning and Zoning sends notices to everyone who is scheduled to get their systems maintained. About 500 people every year fail to get that done by the deadline, he said, so CPZ staff sends them follow-up notices and puts in a lot of time and effort to get them to comply before taking them to court.

“We do have the ability to cite them, but our goal is to have them use that money to maintain their system,” he said, noting that about 50 people ended up in the court system last year.

Supervisor Jason Wilhelm said the constituents he’s talked to are “dead-set against this,” noting that the fee for putting in a new septic tank is also set to increase from $650 to $675, and that’s on top of the $100 per year for inspections.

Before the debate ended, Dickinson suggested that the board or its representatives should take a stand against unfunded mandates like the septic maintenance program.

“If we’re going to be part of the Wisconsin Counties Association, I would like to see them doing some work on this issue,” he said. “If we need to pass a resolution – I’m not a big resolution guy – but let’s do it.”

Other fee increases

Although they did not generate any debate among supervisors, the fees for owning a dog and obtaining services from the medical examiner’s office were also increased last Thursday.

For dog licenses, the board voted 28-5 to more or less double all of the county’s dog license fees, from $5 to $12 for neutered or spayed dogs and from $10 to $20 for unneutered or un-spayed canines. The price for a kennel license, which allows residents to keep up to 12 dogs on their property, will also increase from $50 to $80, plus an extra $12 per additional dog.

Voting against the increases were supervisors Nick Endres, Tim Sondelski, Chris Dickinson, Tom Covelli and Jason Wilhelm.

County clerk Kim Trueblood, whose office collects dog license fees from all of the county’s municipalities, said the increase was needed to close the gap between what the county takes in every year from license revenue, between $30,000 and $35,000, and the $100,000 it pays for shelter services through the Humane Society.

The only fee increases that received unanimous approval from the board were those for pathology services charged by the county’s new regional forensic science center in Wausau.

Under the motion approved by the board, the county’s cremation authorization fee will be increased from $283 to $350, and a new $100 death certificate signing fee will be added to the medical examiner’s fee schedule. The additional revenue is expected to be around $107,000 per year, which will help offset the county’s cost for transitioning to a physician-led medical examiner’s office with two forensic pathologists.

Other business

■ The board approved a pair of resolutions designating $30 million from the Highway Department’s reserve fund for a new Highway headquarters, and allocating $75,000 of that amount for the project’s phase 1 design services.

■ The board accepted an offer of $550,000 from the city of Schofield to purchase the old trailer park property at 281 Grand Ave., which was previously acquired by the county after the owner failed to pay off their delinquent taxes. The cost of cleaning up human health hazards on the property and seizing it through a tax deed will be deducted from the sales price, with the remaining proceeds going to the former owner. Supervisor Robinson said the city of Schofield plans on redeveloping the property for private use so it will be returned to the property tax roll.

■ The board appointed Aaron Griner of Wausau to fill the District 5 seat, which was vacated after longtime supervisor Gary Gisselman passed away earlier this year. Griner, who owns and operates a carpentry business and also serves as property manager for the Marathon County Historical Society, was one of six applicants to be interviewed for the appointment.

■ The board approved a resolution opposing any increase in the allowable size and weight of tractor- trailers, citing concerns with public safety and increased highway maintenance costs.

■ The board approved a total of about $166,500 in bridge and culvert aid for projects throughout the county, including those in the towns of Emmet, Holton, Marathon, Rib Falls and Riebrock.

■ The board approved the transfer of .20 acres of excess right-ofway at CTH P and Wescott Avenue in the town of Eau Pleine to Bethany Mennonite Church at no cost, with Bethany Mennonite Church responsible for all associated transactional costs.