Former Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg running for county board

Former Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg is seeking elected office once again, this time running for the Marathon County Board in District 1.

Rosenberg lost a re-election bid to Doug Dinny in 2024, by just a few hundred votes.

“There are moments where you are offered an opportunity to reflect, and I was offered that opportunity,” Rosenberg said. “So I did.”

Since leaving office, Rosenberg has been appointed the inaugural director of the Office of Environmental Justice, a role she says allowed her to focus on issues most important to her.

Still, she said the pull toward public service never faded.

Earlier this year, Rosenberg secured a seat on Wausau’s Police and Fire Commission.

“I thought, you know, why not?” she said. “I’m not somebody who’s afraid of putting myself out there.”

Rosenberg said her commitment to public service began early in life.

“I unfortunately grew up in a very engaged family, from my grandparents to my dad to everyone,” she said. “So it’s one of those things that kind of comes naturally.”

Before serving as mayor, Rosenberg served on the Marathon County Board from 2016 to 2020.

She said her decision to run again was prompted by the county’s recent budget process, particularly discussions surrounding the possible sale of the county nursing home and reductions to health services.

“That was the moment where I was like, we can’t do this,” Rosenberg said. “I need to make sure my person knows that I don’t stand for this, and I don’t think our whole district does.”

Rosenberg said county government is often overlooked despite its impact on residents’ daily lives.

As she campaigns for a return to the county board, Rosenberg said her focus is on practical results.

“It has to be about what you’re doing for this community,” she said. “How can you help solve these critical issues that are facing us? That’s not really the sexy part, but that’s the part that matters the most.”

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