Wausau, Wisconsin Hopes to Create New Position for City

Wausau, Wisconsin is going to consider hiring a communication coordinator to market the city to businesses, local media and residents. Michael Loy, the city’s Human Resources Director, said on Monday that he does not think the city is doing its best job when it comes to explaining what it is like to live in Wausau, Wisconsin.

“We don’t have a marketing force, which sells why Wausau’s different, why Wausau’s great, (and) gets the information to the right people,” Loy said in the middle of a Human Resources Committee meeting.

The newly created position within the city would cost taxpayers at the least $39,746 and at the most $55,604. That range does not include the proposed employee’s benefits though. During Monday’s Human Resources Committee meeting, the motion passed to create the position of communication coordinator. Maryanne Groat, the Wausau Finance Director, said that hiring for communication coordinator has become a priority since the city does not receive enough positive press from the local media.

“Let’s count how many times they have anything nice to say about us,” Groat said.

On August 1, the human resources confidential administrative specialist will be retiring. The proposal formed by Loy has the communication coordinator replacing the position of human resources confidential administrative specialist. Loy said that the base pay for the communication coordinator would wind up being $7,000 more than the base pay of the outgoing specialist position. Gary Gisselman, a member of the committee, said that he opposes the position because the city needs to consider other types of jobs that of higher need to taxpayers.

“Before we start to market the city, we have to take care of our city — whether it be housing, safe neighborhoods,” Gisselman said at the meeting on Monday night.

Gisselman was shot down in the vote by a 2-1 count after Romey Wagner, the chairman of the Human Resources Committee, relinquished his chairmanship to Gisselman. By relinquishing his chairmanship, Wagner was able to second member David Nutting’s motion of being in favor of the position. If Wagner had not been able to second the motion the proposal would have died in committee.

The proposal will be voted on sometime in August by the full City Council. Wagner is hoping that the initiative to create the position will also bring revenue and businesses to the city of Wausau.

“Marketing doesn’t get you where you want to get tomorrow,” Wagner said. “It brings you clients and customers for years.”

Loy proposed a similar position to communication coordinator back in February but the proposal was voted against in a committee meeting. Loy is hoping to hire someone for the position by October and the position would be guaranteed by the city for two years.