Ballot referendum may ease staffing concerns for the Germantown police, fire. Here's how much it would cost

 

GERMANTOWN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- On Tuesday, April 2, Germantown voters will decide whether or not to pass a property tax increase that could help ease staffing concerns for their police and fire departments.

This is the public safety referendum that will appear on the ballot:

Under state law, the increase in the levy of the Village of Germantown for 
the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2025, is limited to 2.97%, which
results in a levy of $16,212,166. Shall the Village of Germantown be allowed
to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2025, and on
an ongoing basis, for the purpose of hiring four (4) new police officers and ten
(10) new firefighter-paramedics, by a total of 8.941%, which results in a levy
of $17,661,634?

The dollar amount of the property tax levy increase would be $1,449,468 dollars.

If the referendum passes, officials estimate a $51 dollar increase annually, or about $1 per week, per $100,000 in assessed property value.

It would cost an owner of an average Germantown home valued at $350,000 about $178.13 annually, or about $3.43 per week.

According to Germantown Police Chief Mike Snow, current staffing levels limit officers on duty to about three or four per shift.

“Our staffing levels have remained unchanged going back to the 90s," Snow told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. 

This, when calls for service have increased and the department is dealing with more crimes like armed individuals, vehicle pursuits, and retail theft, which require multiple officers to respond.

 "If you only have three officers working, plus a supervisor, then you have two that are required to handle a call for service but then you only have two more in the village to take other emergency calls coming in," Snow said. "It puts a stress on us because it just hasn't changed over the years."

Calls for help for the fire department have also gone up.

Officials said they experienced a 41.5% increase in calls for emergency services between 2016 and 2023.

Of the ones last year, nearly 20% of the 2,452 calls happened at the same time.

"We just are at a point now where we really need to get more officers on the road, we need to increase those minimum staffing levels so we can better serve not just the public but our officers," Snow said.

CBS 58 crews asked several Germantown residents what they thought of the referendum.

"I want to be protected," said 85-year-old Ted Torcivia. "Crime is all over no matter where you go nowadays so I'm concerned."

Nancy Hassenfelt, who's lived in the village for about 40 years, said "safety comes first."

"They can help more, and we need more people to help, why wouldn't we?" Hassenfelt said.

Another man who introduced himself as Brian said he's "all for it."

"You wanna live safely, you gotta pay for it," Brian said. 

If approved, the fire department would have about seven or eight people on duty per shift and they could dispatch up to three ambulances at once. The police department could add two patrol officers on the first and second shifts which are the "busiest" of the day. 

If it doesn't pass, the chief said their only option is for the village's board to use their regular budget process which could take years to reach their goal.

“We have to start from somewhere and that's kind of how we're looking at this," Snow said.