Wausau City Hall. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Residents in Wausau could find themselves debating a shift to a City Manager or Administrator form of government in the new year.
Mayor Doug Diny hosted a forum on the issue, with UW Oshkosh Professor of Municipal Administration Michael Ford and Jay Shambeau of Innovative Public Advisors. Diny says the event kicked off what could be a big conversation for the city. “We had professionals here who could speak to the differences, speak to the questions that came up. I like the idea, but I’m not the absolute expert in the matter. That’s why I wanted to bring them in. I thought we had pretty good engagement tonight.”
Ford and Shambeau were not paid for the program. They and the Mayor emphasized that Tuesday’s session was not a sales pitch; it was about getting information out so the community can decide if it’s worth pursuing. “I think that’s the approach. We are putting information out early, and [the Council] will see what the options are and hopefully we will have a solid discussion on the matter.”
Diny has proposed moving the city to professional management twice before. In 2022, while serving as District 4 Alder, he proposed a last-minute addition to the City Budget to fund an Administrator from the city’s reserves with a start date of July 1st, 2023. The proposal died for lack of a second.
RELATED: Wausau City Council Adopts 2023 Budget, Last-Minute Administrator Proposal Fails
He brought the proposal back in 2025, saying he’d like a task force to study the change. Since then, the proposal hasn’t seen much daylight. Diny says he still thinks it’s worth a look. “One of the things that kept coming up was continuity, separation of politics from the administration. I think there are some efficiencies to be had. Additionally, we have a large debt and someone who understands bonding and debt would be a good person to have [in that role].”
No further discussions were immediately scheduled. Diny said those interested in the discussion should watch the replay on the city’s YouTube page, then contact their Alders or his office directly with further questions or comments.
Comments