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Volume 8, Issue 22, Oct 13, 2025
 Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, Eau Claire, Wis.
Published the first business day of each week
Business Advocate Past Issues
Public Meetings Calendar
Chamber Events Calendar
The Chamber's Advocacy Principles
The Chamber's Business Issues Agenda
"Talking Po!nt" Podcast
How to become a Chamber investor
Contact: Scott Rogers, VP Governmental Affairs
rogers@eauclairechamber.org
Chamber Business Hours: Mon-Thu 7:30a-5p, Friday 7:30a-1:30p

In this issue:
 • EC City Council: First public discussion of draft 2026 budget
 • Medical innovator HeartWorks opens headquarters in Eau Claire
 • State Assembly passes several housing bills, to State Senate next
 • Legislative Update: Status of Chippewa Valley economic issues in Madison
 • US Chamber: Ways a Government Shutdown Affects You and Your Business
 • Food for thought
Note on article links: A subscription is required for those marked with "$"
Publications known to have article limits or other access restrictions for non-subscribers are marked with "+"

Last chance to register...
Eggs & Issues: State Budget and Legislative Update
  After completion of the state budget this past summer, the legislature continues its session until early next spring. At this Eggs & Issues breakfast, we'll get updates on how Chippewa Valley priorities fared in the final state budget (click to see: 2025 Chippewa Valley Rally Issues), look at pending legislation and its potential importance to our area's economy, and discuss how you can help advance key initiatives important to business. The discussion will be led by John Jacobson, Director of Public Affairs, Ruder Ware, and Scott Rogers, the Chamber's Senior Director of Governmental Affairs. We'll also get legislative perspectives from Republican State Senator Romaine Quinn (R-Birchwood), a member of the Joint Finance Committee, and Democratic Representative Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire), a member of the Assembly Minority Leadership.
Event information:
• Friday, Oct 17, 7:00-8:30 a.m., CVTC Business Education Center
  Click here for details and to register  

Chamber & CVTC Business Community Breakfast
   Join us at CVTC’s Manufacturing Education Center to hear from CVTC President Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia about how CVTC is impacting our community and our future workforce. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour CVTC’s new Safety Training Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed to elevate hands-on safety training, and see firsthand how CVTC continues to innovate and expand opportunities for students and employers alike.
Event information:
• Wednesday, Oct 29, 7:00-8:30 a.m., CVTC Manufacturing Educ Center
   Click here for details and to register  

Also for your calendar...
• 2025 "Bravo to Business" Awards - Wednesday, Nov 5
• Morning Momentum - Tuesday, Nov 18
• Eggs & Issues: Our Energy Future - Friday, Nov 21
• Business After Hours - Monday, Dec 8
• Eggs & Issues: Holiday Legislative Breakfast - Friday, Dec 19
• 2026 Human Resource Conference - Thursday, Jan 15
• 32nd Annual Chippewa Valley Rally - Madison, Thursday, Feb 19

EC City Council: First public discussion of 2026 budget
Draft includes increase in wheel tax to $50
   The Eau Claire City Council meets this week, with Monday's agenda including the first public discussion of the draft 2026 operating budget. It foresees spending $100.8 million next year, a 4.5% increase over 2025. 
   Also on the agenda for the City Council this week are two rezoning requests. At the end of Monday's meeting, the agenda calls for the Council to go into three closed sessions, including direction on negotiations with Visit Eau Claire on a new tourism contract, the Wastewater Service Agreement with the City of Altoona, and "the six-month performance objective check-in with the City Manager, and to discuss the performance and contract of the City Manager."
2026 Budget process
   After Monday's Public Discussion of the staff-proposed Operating Budget, the City Council will conduct budget work sessions on Tuesday, October 14, and Tuesday, October 28. Amendments from Council members are due on November 3, the Council will hold a formal public hearing on November 10, and adopt the 2026 Operating Budget on November 10.
   Proposed revenue increases in the budget include raising the Local Vehicle Registration Fee (LVRF) by $26, to $50, estimated to bring in $1.19 million, and paid downtown parking in the second half of the year "which will allow for a reduction of approximately $350,000 in general fund subsidy to the parking fund," according to City Manager Stephanie Hirsch in her City Manager's October 3 Weekly Update. The proposed wheel tax rate would make the City's the highest in the state after Fitchburg, which went to $40 in August. City of Eau Claire residents also pay a $30 County LVRF.
   "As we finalize the 2026 budget, we continue to weigh whether to ask more of residents or to reduce services," Hirsch wrote. "These are decisions that impact our quality of life, the strength of our local safety net, dynamics of our community partnerships, and our ability to continue to attract new residents and businesses."
   Hirsch said the budget "is the result of extensive analysis and difficult decisions by staff and Council. The budget document includes highlights from 2025, outlines new and ongoing projects for 2026, and discusses the fiscal challenges we face in maintaining City services."
   Hirsch said among the City's priorities for 2026 are the following:
   - An update to our Comprehensive and Strategic Plans;
   - Continued planning for construction of an updated Public Safety Training Facility and a new westside Fire Station;
   - A comprehensive study on how we can improve trash collection;
   - Work on and improvement to our parking management systems, in conjunction with rollout of paid downtown parking;
   - A focused effort to improve constituent services across all divisions and departments;
   - A shift of resources to allow us to prioritize economic development;
   - Continued major infrastructure work, including on bridges and roadways, and including decision making regarding parking garages and several other significant projects.
District discussions planned
   City officials have announced a series of informal district-level meetings that "will be opportunities to learn about citywide and neighborhood initiatives, discuss the proposed 2026 City budget, meet neighbors, and talk to the City Manager and Council Members." Planned dates: West Side: Sunday, October 26th at 3 p.m.; North Side: Sunday, October 26th at 5 p.m.; South Side: Sunday, November 2nd at 3 p.m. (tentative); and Central: Sunday, November 2nd at 5 p.m. Specific locations and other information will be announced doon.
Birch Street reopens, Graham-Riverside upper level parking deck to close
   This summer's major reconstruction of Birch Street in Eau Claire was completed last week, with the street fully open to traffic effective October 8.
   The City will close the upper level of the downtown Graham-Riverside ramp effective November 1, due to safety concerns, with the City not intending to plow snow there this winter. The lower deck will remain open until March 1, 2026.
More information:
Eau Claire City Council
 • Monday, Oct 13, 6 p.m., Public Hearing Agenda Packet (33 pages)
 • Tuesday, Oct 14, 4 p.m. Legislative Session Agenda Packet (158 pages)
   Click here to send an email to all City Council members
   Click here for individual contact information for each City Council member
   Link to videos of city meetings (City of Eau Claire)
   City of Eau Claire Public Notices (City of Eau Claire)
   City News Updates -incl. City Manager's Weekly Update (City of Eau Claire)
Budget-related information
City Manager's Weekly Update with budget comments - Oct 3 (City of Eau Claire)
Eau Claire City Budget development timeline (City of Eau Claire)
Budget Process and Current Documents (City of Eau Claire)
2026 Proposed Operating Budget (City of Eau Claire)
City Manager's Budget Message (City of Eau Claire)
News coverage:
City of Eau Claire Proposed 2026 budget would more than double current wheel tax (WKBT News 8000)
Eau Claire's proposed 2026 budget sees 4.5% increase and a potential wheel tax increase (WQOW News 18)
More Wisconsin counties, municipalities turning to local wheel tax (WPR)
Which Wisconsin cities have a wheel tax? (Journal-Sentinel +)
Upper deck of Eau Claire Graham-Riverside parking ramp to close for the winter due to safety concerns (WQOW News 18)

Eau Claire County Budget underway
   Like other local governments operating on a calendar year basis, Eau Claire County is also in the process of adopting its 2026 Operating Budget. The Administrator's proposed budget was released at the end of September, and the Committee on Budget and Finance is currently holding joint meetings with each County Board Committee. The County Board will hold its first public hearing on October 21, with planned budget adoption at its November 12 meeting.
More information:
County 2026 Budget page (Eau Claire County)
Budget Timeline (Eau Claire County)

Also meeting this week...
Full public meetings calendar
Altoona Plan Commission
• Tuesday, Oct 14, 5:30 p.m. Meeting information
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission
• Friday, Fri Oct 17, 7:30 a.m. Meeting information