Consultant Will Study Possible Overhaul Of Wausau’s City Government

The Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce has hired a consultant to study a possible change in the city’s form of government.

The city’s residents will be voting on the possible change in April. A non-binding referendum will ask Wausau residents if they want to keep the current form of city government with an elected full-time mayor, switch to a professional administrator, or switch to a combination of the two.

The referendum is a response to a series of financial and legal missteps that have rocked city hall. The city lost funding for a road improvement project after allegedly failing to follow federal guidelines. A report also alleged that the city failed to take competitive bids, as required by state law, for a highway beautification project. The city’s public works director later resigned.

Chamber of Commerce President Aaron Kapellusch said his organization is uniquely qualified to coordinate a study of the city’s options.

“We’re in a position in the community to be fair and unbiased, and with a membership of almost 43,000 people, we really represent a broad spectrum of people in the region,” said Kapellusch.

The chamber hired Public Administration Associates of Oshkosh to meet with community leaders and get their input on whether Wausau would be better off with a strong mayor who’s accountable to the people, or a professional appointed administrator.