Marathon County Courthouse. MWC file photo.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Leaders in Marathon County are continuing to gather data on whether the Board of Supervisors should be downsized in the next two years.
Board Chairman Kurt Gibbs updated the Executive Committee on the process Wednesday afternoon. He says at this point they are closer to the beginning of the process than the end.
“We’re still gathering information,” says Gibbs. “[Looking at] the potential benefits and the potential negatives.”
The ultimate goal is to find out what the appropriate size would be for Marathon County. They’re also looking at what the most efficient size would be.
Gibbs says the process will also include a survey of the Supervisors themselves, both those in leadership positions and those who only serve on the board itself. “[We want to know] how much time they spend on county board. Do they have a full-time job? What prep time do they spend on it? How much time do they spend interacting with constituents?”
Members of the task force have also been in contact with other counties in the state that have either downsized or upsized their Board of Supervisors.
The task force is set to hold their next meeting on Monday afternoon. Their final report is due to the full board by the end of December. A final decision will then come after they’ve had a chance to look it over.
Should that decision involve an increase or decrease in the number of supervisors a redistricting process would be required. Gibbs says that would involve working with the Northcentral Region Planning Commission along with local municipalities. The final product would also need to be approved by the state.
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