The Wausau Committee of the Whole on Oct. 9 discussed asking voters to approve a levy referendum to fund 12 firefighters after federal grant funding ends, and considered hiring Miller Communications to run a public-education campaign if the council moves forward.

The prospect would fund 12 firefighter positions the fire department says are needed to maintain minimum response standards. "The idea was to just bring 12 firefighters to the referendum," a fire department chief said during the meeting, explaining the recommendation came from the department’s command staff as a simpler referendum question than the 15 positions listed on the posted agenda.

Why it matters: City staff and the fire department told council members that call volumes have roughly tripled over recent decades while staffing and station coverage declined, increasing reliance on mutual aid and creating operational strain. The chief said call volume is approaching 7,000 a year and that current minimum staffing for some structure-fire responses can only be met when ambulance units are not on other calls.

Finance and timing: Staff said levy limits and other constraints leave limited local revenue options. Mary Anne (staff member) explained that a recent TID 6 closure freed roughly $600,000 of levy capacity this year but that most of that additional capacity was consumed by ongoing cost increases such as health insurance and curbside service. She told the committee the state statutes governing referendum wording limit how the ballot question may be framed and that the city would likely target an April election so any approved ongoing levy could be folded into the 2027 budget. Staff said the deadline to submit a final referendum question for the ballot is Jan. 27.

Communications proposal: Miller Communications, a Milwaukee-based firm, presented an education-only campaign aimed at creating an "engaged and informed electorate" without advocating for a vote outcome. Caitlin Ross of Miller said the firm would prepare a messaging document, direct mail pieces, a webpage, social media content (including paid ads), and presentation materials city staff and officials could use. Cass Bergavan of Miller described a typical three-mailer program mailed to every household and noted translation and targeted outreach (for example, Hmong-language materials) could be added.

Budget and alternatives: Council members discussed the proposal’s cost and possible ways to pare it down. Several alderpersons cited earlier local referendums that failed despite city-led outreach, arguing that professional help can improve clarity and reach. Council members estimated a pared campaign could be in the roughly $65,000–$75,000 range after discussion on mail and production costs, with roughly $35,000 of that tied to printing and postage; Miller representatives confirmed mailing and printing are principal third-party costs and said they could reduce scope (fewer mailers or a more consultative role) if the city prefers.

Language and community access: Alders raised language-access needs; Miller said it has translators used in prior municipal campaigns and can produce dual-language mailers and other translated pieces on request. Miller also offered a limited consultative option to craft core messaging that city staff could repurpose for newsletter items, social posts and utility-bill inserts if the council prefers a lower-cost approach.

Next steps and council direction: Council members did not vote to retain Miller on Oct. 9. Instead the Committee of the Whole scheduled a follow-up meeting to review narrowed scope and pricing options and to decide whether to engage the firm. The committee agreed to reconvene Nov. 3 at 5:15 p.m. at the council table for further discussion and to give staff and Miller time to develop reduced-cost alternatives.

Public comment: Marie Schmidt, a neighborhood lead and resident at 1205 Parcher Street, urged the council not to approve a referendum, saying further tax increases would harm families who rely on donations from neighborhood schools for basic needs. "You can't spend a $130,000 on trying to re-educate people to try to convince them to think it's okay and agree to take even more money away from them with a referendum," she said.

Meeting close: The committee adjourned on a motion from Alder Watson, seconded by Alder Neal; the voice vote recorded one opposed member and otherwise carried.

The committee’s next session will revisit whether to retain Miller and, if so, at what scope and cost. If the council proceeds, staff said they would work with financial advisors to finalize the referendum question and timing before the Jan. 27 submission deadline.