MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – The City of Marshfield Fire and Police Commission met Monday to discuss a city-wide referendum for additional monies for Emergency Services. Both the Police Department and the Fire & Rescue Department are facing financial and staffing challenges, compounded by recent budget cuts in the 2023 City of Marshfield budget.
The City of Marshfield Common Council voted November 30 to approve the 2023 budget. The budget includes a maximum-permitted tax increase of 1.04% (from 10.51 to 10.5818037) and a new Street Light Tax, as well as approximately $800,000 (about 3.54%) in cuts from the General Fund to balance the budget.
During the meeting, $40,000 was approved to be added back into Public Safety, with funds coming from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Previously, more than $100,000 was cut from Public Safety funding in the original budget discussions.
During Monday’s meeting, staff discussed financial shortfalls in both the police and fire departments, what a referendum should include, how to promote a referendum to the public, and whether or not to pay a professional company to help promote a referendum. (Watch the meeting HERE.)
“What concerns me is, with the number that’s been cut, that equates to one police officer at the base rate and one records specialists, both of which are retiring,” said Police Chief Jody Geurink, noting that his department is going from 40 patrol officers to 39 and from 3 records specialists down to 2. “I can’t operate on two records specialists. They take care of the front lobby and fulfill the reports so we can prosecute who we arrest.”
He added that the department is already overworked.
“What I’m looking at now, realistically, is being down one officer and one records specialists. We need to add into the referendum to secure those positions in order to move up to our baseline,” said Geurink.
Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department is currently short-staffed by 3 firefighter/paramedics.
City Administrator Steve Barg expressed the importance of not only determining current needs, but how to sustain and grow the departments and meet anticipated future needs.
“Are there other things that should be folded into this?” said Barg. “The intent is for this to be ongoing.”
He added that there has to be someone to sell the campaign. “The public needs to be confronted with this problem and able to choose,” he said. “Telling the story is the most important thing.”
Barg asked for possible ballot question options, which will be discussed at a later meeting.
If approved by Common Council, the Public Safety referendum’s target goal is to appear on the April ballot alongside the School District referendum.
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Author: News Desk
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