City Placing Police & Fire/EMS Referendum on April Ballot

City voters to consider increase in property tax levy to fund increased public safety service needs

On January 7, the City of Whitewater Common Council voted to place a public safety referendum question on the April 1, 2025 ballot. Voters will be asked whether or not to support an increase in the City’s annual tax levy to fund five additional police officers, a dispatcher, two cross-trained firefighters/EMTs, and their necessary equipment to help meet the growing needs of the Whitewater community. 

This referendum comes as a response to the City’s growing need for police and fire services, as current public safety funding levels and staffing models are insufficient to meet the growing demands and needs of the community. 

The Whitewater Police Department has seen a 90% increase in calls for service since 2010, while staffing has remained flat. There were 14,245 calls for service in 2024 – representing a nearly 90% increase in demand from 2010. 

“The need to increase police and fire staffing in Whitewater is not new — it has persisted for years and has now reached a critical point,” said Whitewater Police Chief Dan Meyer. “Current staffing levels are too low to enable police officers to balance proactive and reactive duties. It is essential that we secure additional funding to hire the staff necessary to meet our community’s service needs. Effective public safety services are vital, and we remain committed to delivering quality services to Whitewater residents.”

Similarly, the Whitewater Fire Department has also seen an increase in calls for service and a decrease in available staff. Since 2022, there has been a 32% increase in calls for service while paid-on-call staffing continues to decrease, requiring full-time fire/EMS personnel to meet the growing needs.

“The safety of our community is our top priority, and the increase in calls for service paired with the decrease in available paid-on-call staff has created significant challenges for the Whitewater Fire Department,” said Whitewater Fire Chief Kelly Freeman. “Since the City passed a referendum to meet acute Fire/EMS needs in 2022, calls for service have continued to grow, and the number of available paid-on-call staff has further decreased. While we are in a better spot today than we were before the referendum, we need additional resources to meet the current and prospective needs of the community.”

If Whitewater residents approve the referendum, the tax levy would increase by approximately $1.3 million, beginning with bills issued in [December] 2025, to cover the cost of five additional police officers, a dispatcher, two cross-trained firefighters/EMTs, and their necessary equipment.

If the referendum passes, a homeowner in the City of Whitewater who lives in Jefferson County will see an annual property tax increase of approximately $92 annually or $1.77 weekly per $100,000 of assessed property value, and in Walworth County, will see an increase of $118 annually, or $2.27 weekly per $100,000 of assessed property value.

The referendum question will appear on the Tuesday, April 1, 2025 ballot as follows: 

Under state law, the increase in the levy of the City of Whitewater for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2026, is limited to 2.166% (based on the City’s best estimate), which results in a levy of $6,600,275. Shall the City of Whitewater be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2026 for the purpose of funding increased staffing, and continuing to operate police and fire/EMS services, by a total of 18.29% (based on the City’s best estimate), which results in a levy of $7,906,057, and on an ongoing basis, include the increase of $1,305,782 for each fiscal year going forward?

The City of Whitewater will share more information about the referendum online, through direct mail and by holding public information sessions ahead of the April election. Additional information is already available on the City’s website https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/615/Police-and-Fire-EMS-Referendum.

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the City of Whitewater.

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