City approves public safety referendum question for April election ballot

By Kim McDarison 

The Fort Atkinson City Council Tuesday approved a public safety referendum question for placement on the spring general election ballot. The election will be held April 5. 

April election voters will find the following question on the ballot for which they may vote “yes” or “no.” 

The question is as follows: 

“Under state law, the increase in the levy of the City of Fort Atkinson for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2023, is limited to 0.349%, which results in a levy of $7,871,614. Shall the City of Fort Atkinson be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2023, for the purpose of hiring six (6) full-time Firefighter/Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians, six (6) full-time Firefighter/Paramedics, and two (2) Police Officers, by a total of 9.774%, which results in a levy of $8,640,949, and on an ongoing basis, include the increase of $769,335 for each fiscal year going forward?”

A “yes” vote indicates that an elector is in favor of additional taxation for the public safety staffing through an ongoing increase in the annual property tax levy. A “no” vote would mean the elector is not. 

City Manager Rebecca Houseman LeMire in a memo to council Tuesday outlined the impact to taxpayers would the referendum receive approval in April, noting that for a home valued at $150,000, the referendum would add $123.33 to the city’s portion of the tax bill in 2022, which, she wrote, equated to $10.28 per month. 

In advance of council approving the question, LeMire noted that the city council and staff had been discussing options for adding staffing positions to both the police and fire departments throughout a good portion of 2021. 

In earlier meetings, Fort Atkinson Fire Chief Daryl Rausch had come before council with his request to add six paramedic/firefighters and six advanced emergency medical technician/firefighters to the department’s full-time staff. The change, LeMire said Tuesday, would allow the department to provide full-time, 24/7 911 emergency medical and firefighting services. 

Additionally, LeMire noted Tuesday, Fort Atkinson Police Chief Adrian Bump had earlier come before council with his request to add two full-time sworn officers to his staff. The increase in manpower would allow the department to use a more proactive policing approach. 

Looking at financing to achieve the requested staffing goals, LeMire said, the city, as a matter of state statute, is allowed to annually raise its property tax levy by the city’s percentage of new construction. In 2021, LeMire stated, the city had a net new construction percentage of 0.349%, which would allow the city to increase its allowable levy by approximately $18,000. 

“The city does not have the funds available, nor the ability to increase the property tax levy to the extent necessary to fund these additional positions and city services,” LeMire noted. 

To achieve the necessary funding to move forward with plans to hire additional staff within the two departments, city staff proposed that council approve a referendum question which could be placed on the April ballot. The question asks city voters to approve an increase in taxes to fund the additional staff.  

Council unanimously approved the referendum question for placement on the April ballot. 

Further, LeMire noted, in October of last year, council authorized city staff to hire Milwaukee-based Mueller Communications to help communicate to the public the need for additional public safety staffing and services. 

Monies to hire the firm came through two sources: the American Rescue Act Fund, which provided funds to the city as part of a federally funded American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) developed last March to aid in economic recovery following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a grant from the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation. Each source contributed 50% of the just over $46,000 required to hire the firm. 

Information shared in November within a 2022 budget workshop by the city included projections revolving around ARPA revenues and expenditures, noting that in 2022, the city anticipates having revenues received through “state/federal emergency grants” available in an amount, including interest, of $650,296.39.

Information in November further lists ARPA expenditures proposed in 2022, including $46,400, labeled “CIP-other funding,” $250,000, labeled “EMS startup costs,” 10,000 labeled “council laptops,” and $400,000 labeled “Banker Road placeholder,” totaling $706,400. 

An earlier story, outlining the city’s five-year capital improvements plan and related expenditures in 2022, is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/city-outlines-five-year-capital-improvement-plan/. 

On Tuesday, LeMire reminded council that information about the proposed public safety referendum was presented to council during its meeting held Jan. 4. 

A story about the proposal, as discussed during the Jan. 4 council meeting, is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/fort-public-safety-referendum-introduced/. 

Financial analysis 

Several charts, indicating five-year projections, showing revenues and expenditures to fund the increase in public safety-related startup costs and operational costs associated with staffing, and associated tax impacts, were included in a financial analysis that was shared within Tuesday’s memo from LeMire.   

According to the memo, two types of costs are associated with the proposal. They are startup costs associated with the fire department and annual operational costs associated with supporting the hiring of additional staff for both the fire and police departments. 

The estimated startup costs associated with additional EMS services at the fire station, as indicated within a chart included in the memo, range, over a five-year period (2023 to 2027), between just over $559,000 and just over $597,000, with those funds coming from the city’s ARPA funds and a grant from the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation, according to the memo.  

A five-year projection of startup costs follows: