Marathon County Taxpayers Will See a Tax Decrease in 2026

Thursday, November 6th, 2025 -- 10:00 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) Good news for Marathon County taxpayers, the county may take less of your money for 2026.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, County Supervisors held the budget hearing earlier this week. Administrator Lance Leonhard addressed the board, saying years of fiscal responsibility have put the County in a good place.

“Marathon County continues to be a very well-managed fiscal organization,” said Leonhard. Should the spending plan get final approval on November 11th, residents will pay $3.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, down from $3.67 last year.

Leonhard adds that the county emphasized salaries, noting that the local economy is strong and unemployment is low. That means staying competitive to keep employees from jumping ship.

“Our unemployment rate is about 2.7%, significantly below the state average of 3%. Our region is more competitive. [That makes] retention and recruiting of employees a top priority.”

The total budget is $194.7 million, including $61.4 million in property taxes. Of course, the county portion of the tax bill is just one piece of the puzzle. Residents also pay into the school district, city, and technical college.

Once those numbers are complete, there is also the Wisconsin State Lottery tax credit, the size of which depends on the state lottery’s profits.

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