WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) — There are still no plans created to help solve the Village of Brokaw’s huge financial problem. The Village lost the Wausau Paper mill, and with it, the source of revenue that payed for much of the village’s water and sewage treatment costs. Now, Brokaw is in danger of going into default on 3.8 million dollars in bonds because they don’t have enough remaining tax base to pay the bills.
The topic was on the agenda for both Wausau’s Finance Committee and the Common Council. Wausau would be interested in economic development to the north. The Towns of Maine and Texas want no part of Wausau annexing that land.
The Finance Committee voted to table the issue, knowing the issue was coming up in closed session at the council meeting later Tuesday evening.
Town of Maine Supervisor Keith Rusch was at the committee meeting, and told members that Maine promising a proposal is not true. Rusch said anything they do would have to be a joint effort with the Village of Brokaw and the Town of Texas. He says, “Our plan is to work with the other communities.”
At City Council, Alderman Keene Winters commented that meetings about Brokaw need to be in open session and involve all of the municipalities where the public can see. City Attorney Anne Jacobson confirmed there were things that had to be covered in closed session this time.
Council President Romey Wagner agrees the meetings need to happen and they need to be open to the public. “We don’t plan on staying in closed sessions on these things. We feel that it needs to come out to the public. The whole story has to get out, and we haven’t made any kind of progress in the closed session, but it’s important that all of the parties start talking outside of closed sessions.”
Wagner says they would like to get officials from all four municipalities together to discuss the possibilities, but the ball is in Brokaw’s court. “To my knowledge, there’s nothing scheduled for all of us or any of us to get together.”
Brokaw could sell the water and the sewer utilities. A consultant recently recommended Brokaw, the Towns of Texas and Maine, and the City of Wausau negotiate a shared services agreement.
