City government · Marathon County, WI

Wausau's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Wausau took in $100 million and spent $106 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

City taxes42%Fees for services (sewer, water)26%State tax money14%Fines and other8.8%Federal tax money6.8%County and local tax money2.4%

What stands out

40%

of Wausau's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people gets 19%.

City taxes42%

Property tax
40%$40.0 million
Other taxes
2.4%$2.4 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 2 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.0 million
  • Other licenses$842 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$479 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$30 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services26%

Fees for services
26%$25.9 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; water and 8 more
  • Sewer$11.4 million
  • Water$10.2 million
  • Other service charges$2.7 million
  • Parking$557 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$412 thousand
  • Transit fares$386 thousand
  • Airport$148 thousand
  • Road charges$74 thousand
  • Garbage collection$33 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$21 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money6.8%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
6.8%$6.8 million

State tax money14%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
14%$14.0 million

County and local tax money2.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
2.4%$2.4 million

Fines and other8.8%

Interest, rents and other
8.5%$8.5 million
Fines
0.3%$277 thousand

Where it goes

Roads, transit and parking21%Police, fire, courts and jails21%Water, sewer, trash and utilities17%Interest on debt13%Running the government and other costs9.8%All other spending18%

What stands out

7.6%

of Wausau's spending goes to housing and community development.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Roads, transit and parking
21%$22.5 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; public transit and 2 more
  • Roads and highways$16.0 million
  • Public transit$4.4 million
  • Parking$1.5 million
  • Airports$569 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
21%$22.1 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$13.1 million
  • Fire protection$7.3 million
  • Inspections and regulation$941 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$748 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
17%$18.5 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$10.4 million
  • Water supply$6.1 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$2.0 million
Interest on debt
13%$13.8 million
Running the government and other costs
9.8%$10.4 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$6.5 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.2 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.3 million
  • Government buildings$511 thousand
Housing and community development
7.6%$8.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
6.1%$6.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$6.5 million
Health and hospitals
3.9%$4.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$4.1 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$60 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$60 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Wausau. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

What this covers. The money of City of Wausau itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.