MARSHFIELD – “Communication is vital for the City of Marshfield because it is the foundation of trust, transparency and community engagement,” said Marshfield Communications Director Tom Loucks, on the heels of a presentation to the city council.
“Our residents rely on accurate and timely information to understand city services, policies and decisions that impact their daily lives.
“Clear communication prevents misinformation and improves accountability. It also encourages civic participation, giving residents the opportunity to share concerns, ask questions, and feel connected to their local government.
“Also, in times of crisis, effective communication can even save lives by ensuring that critical updates reach the community quickly. Ultimately, strong communication builds stronger relationships between a municipality and the people it serves.”
During the Sept. 23 Marshfield Common Council meeting, Loucks and Marshfield Community Media Coordinator made a presentation to the board, reporting a funding gap that the department is facing in 2026 and future budget years.
In 2019, the city created the communications director position and integrated Marshfield Community Television into the communications department.
By bringing the services “in-house” from a previously contracted arrangement, the city reduced the budget from $305,749 to $227,613.
The communications department later took on social media and website coordination, developed a weekly city newsletter, developed a media outreach plan, developed crisis resources, launched new platforms, added a communications specialist with various media expertise, rebranded its channels, launched partnerships, revamped its studio, worked on training community producers, launched community-focused shows and handled referendum outreach.
Loucks told the common council that the department is at risk for losing the funding that supports it, due to people “cutting the cord.”
According to a Pew Research study, 83% of Americans watch streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, while 36% subscribe to cable or satellite TV.
“Our department is more than cameras and cable channels; we’re the hub of how the city connects with residents, businesses and elected officials. By doing this work in-house, we provide professional services with saving taxpayer dollars,” Loucks told the council.
“Currently, we receive no taxpayer dollars for marketing and communications of the city. We only get a very small fee from those who purchase cable television, not from the internet or any streaming platforms. In order to continue these vital services, we will need a small share of the general fund or another funding source. We are only a two-person department that handles both community media (Marshfield Broadcasting) and city government communications, and for us to go out and raise money to keep the department afloat will take away from getting vital information out to the citizens in a timely manner,” Loucks said later.
“The city would also lose marketing new developments, housing, jobs, events, and partnerships with nonprofits, including working closely with the MACCI, Visit Marshfield and Main Street Marshfield on projects together.
“The city brought me in to develop a communications department and take over the former MCTV operation in 2019, which has shown to be very successful and saved the city a lot of money.
“We are here to inform the citizens and strive to provide information through multiple platforms because we feel all citizens should be able to easily get the information quickly and accurately.”
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