Oct 8, 2024, 11:19 AM CST
The City of Eau Claire hosted its first public meeting on the proposed 2025 budget on Monday, giving locals an insight into their priorities.
Overall, the proposed budget for the next year calls for an increase of 6.4% with a total ask of over $190 million. The 6.4% increase represents about $11.4 million dollars of extra funding for the 2025 budget compared to the 2024 budget.
The budget outlines a few major goals for 2025, including Staff Retention Well-Being, Efficiency Efforts, Quality of Life and Customer Service, and Housing and Homelessness Reduction.
Housing and Homelessness has become particularly troublesome issues in the Eau Claire area. The Chippewa Valley has seen a dramatic rise in the number of identified unhoused individuals in recent months. According to a July survey, there were 82 identified unhoused individuals in Eau Claire County, including 10 children.
To make matters more difficult, the City of Eau Claire has a vacancy rate of just 3.7%, which is far below the state average of 11%. State Representative Jodi Emerson tackled the issue in a press conference on Friday. Representative Emerson advocated for the creation of a street ambassador program to assist unhoused individuals get connected with resources they need, as well as the establishment of a day resource center. She has also authored bills to create a revolving loan program to increase workforce and senior housing across the state.
Another major change in the proposed 2025 budget is a 60% increase in funding for the Neighborhood Services Division. City officials expect the division’s code enforcement role will help it become more self-sufficient. The City is also hoping to iron out wrinkles in the trash collection system to make it more efficient and less costly for residents.
City officials say the overall goal of the proposed budget is to manage the area’s rapid growth without sacrificing the quality of service residents have come to expect. After several work sessions in the City Council and another public hearing on the budget, it could be adopted on November 12th.
