By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
City leaders on Monday will discuss a proposed new pay scale for utility employees that would likely rely on a rate hike for property owners, despite multiple denials by Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg that any such increase is on the table.
City documents show a discussion on the $200,000 proposal during a joint meeting of the Human Resources Committee and Water Commission that will prompt the “possibility of future rate hikes.” But just weeks ago, Rosenberg dismissed talk of potential rate increases as “rumor,” as reported by several news outlets including WAOW, WSAU and WXPR.
The denials came after Wausau Pilot & Review on Dec. 5 reported that Wausau’s recent hefty rate increases for water and sewer utilities do not include planned staffing changes that call for more personnel and higher salaries for employees. That information, which came from city documents and meeting videos, was dismissed publicly by the mayor but confirmed by multiple City Council members. In addition, Public Access video from a September HR Committee meeting shows Public Works Director Eric Lindman and Finance Director MaryAnne Groat confirming on camera that the funding for proposed organizational changes was not included in the last rate increase and would normally be tied to user rates.
In September, the price tag sat at $450,000, a number that raised alarm bells for City Council President Becky McElhaney, who said there is “no evidence” supporting any allegation that utility employees are leaving for higher wages. Seven people left the departments in 2023, none of which left for higher wages elsewhere, and Wausau’s compensation study completed this year shows the city is very competitive for this area, she said.
In December, Public Works Director Eric Lindman defended the need for adding positions and said staffing levels have been an issue throughout his tenure in Wausau.
“Our staffing levels prior to the projects were below recommended levels and now, with the new facilities, staffing levels are even further behind,” Lindman said, referring to a Baker Tilly study.
Now, for Monday’s meeting, there is a new fiscal estimate of $200K – and the packet clearly states the possibility of a utility rate increase.
Dist. 3 Alder Tom Kilian, who has criticized the city’s prior rate hikes and suggested ways to curb utility costs, told Wausau Pilot & Review that potential policy outcomes that are discussed in depth on public access video and confirmed by multiple department heads on camera as possible outcomes are not appropriately characterized as ‘rumors.’
“And not even self-immolation could change that,” Kilian said.
A major rate hike for Wausau water customers went into effect in July, leaving many residents angry and concerned about their finances. The change meant the average Wausau resident saw their water bill ratchet up from about $292 annually to about $448, about a 54 percent increase. In 2021, the average annual bill was about $229 a year – about half of what Wausau citizens are paying today.
In December, Rosenberg did not respond to requests for comment for Wausau Pilot & Review’s story but did address the potential for water rate hikes with other news outlets. In her interview with WSAU, Rosenberg called talk of an increase “premature.”
“Even the idea that somebody could think [we need another increase] is alarming to people who are just now getting settled with their current payments and bills,” she told WSAU. “I totally get it, but we’re not ready to move forward with a case like that at all. We [would] need a lot more data.”
Wausau Pilot again reached out to Rosenberg on Sunday and will update this story if a response is received.
A meeting is set for 4:45 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 407 Grant St., Wausau. See the full meeting packet at this link.
