Town Hall Meetings Scheduled for Marshfield Public Safety Referendum

MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – On April 4, 2023, City voters will consider increased property tax funding to support hiring and retaining nine firefighter/paramedics, one police officer, one Police Department records specialist, and one administrative assistant to be split between the Police and Fire departments.

The City of Marshfield budget passed for 2023 included significant cuts to public safety. In February, $45,000 was moved from the City’s Contingency account to pay Mueller Communications to help promote the referendum.

Residents will be asked whether they support an increase in the levy by a total of 7.124%, which would result in an overall tax levy of $16,992,899, and, on an ongoing basis, would include the increase of $1,130,000 for each fiscal year going forward.

If the referendum is approved, the annual property tax would increase by an estimated $78.45 per year for every $100,000 of property value, starting with the bills issued in December 2023. For example, the impact to a property valued at $200,000 would be $156.90 annually.

There will be Town Hall Meetings to present information about the Public Safety Referendum appearing on the City of Marshfield ballots for the April 4, 2023 Spring Election on the following dates:

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2023
6:30 P.M.
2nd Street Community Center – Drendel Room
211 E. 2nd Street

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2023
6:30 P.M.
Hotel Marshfield – Central Ballroom
2700 S. Central Avenue

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023
6:30 P.M.
UWSP – Marshfield Campus – Connector Hallway
2000 W. 5th Street

Per a City of Marshfield press release, current public safety funding and staffing levels are insufficient to meet the community’s current and projected future needs.

“We are at a critical juncture to determine the level of fire and EMS services we want in our community,” said the City of Marshfield Fire Chief Pete Fletty.

“In 2022, the Fire and Rescue Department could not fill three open firefighter/ paramedic positions due to budget constraints – despite being the busiest year on record. Five currently vacant positions in the fire and police departments would remain unfilled, and they could remain vacant for some time due to the lack of other available funding sources,” they stated.

Over the past decade, Marshfield Fire and Rescue’s staffing levels have remained stagnant – even though the calls for service have increased by 55%. In 2022, they responded to a record 4,074 calls for service. These staffing levels have made it difficult for the Department to respond to calls for service, as 25% of calls come in concurrently.

For the Police Department, recent budget cuts have prevented them from finding replacements for recently vacated positions, resulting in a strain on the Department to maintain the same level of service. With fewer officers available, the Department has a decreased capacity to carry out non-emergency department duties, such as proactive patrolling and participation in community engagement events.

Per the release, these challenges are not unique to Marshfield but reflect a broader trend across the state as police and fire/EMS departments struggle to meet the growing needs of communities.

“While our departments have risen to meet the needs of our community by working smarter, creating efficiencies, collaborating with stakeholders, and prioritizing what types of service we can provide, it has become increasingly difficult to provide services as expected,” said City Administrator Steve Barg.

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