Germantown voters pass safety referendum to hire more firefighters, cops
Cathy Kozlowicz
The safety referendum for the Village of Germantown passed with 3,759 votes — 62.02% of the ballots — in the April 2 election.
This referendum will increase the property tax levy by nearly 9% to fund additional firefighters, paramedics and police officers.
This referendum reads as, "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. The increase would be an estimated $51 annually, or about $1 per week, per $100,000 in assessed property value.
This referendum will cover the cost of 10 new firefighter-paramedics, allowing there to be seven or eight on duty per shift. The referendum would also allow for four new police officers, with two additional patrol officers on first and second shifts, which are the busiest shifts.
The Germantown Fire Department has said it needs the additional staffing to respond to an increasing number of calls. Between 2016 and 2023, the department said it had nearly a 41% increase in calls for emergency services. In 2023, nearly 20% of the 2,452 calls for service occurred at the same time. Fire Chief John Delain said in a news release prior to the election that there is not enough staff to adequately respond to multiple emergencies.
The Germantown Police Department said it needs more officers as the community has grown and the kinds of calls have shifted. The department cited more drug-related calls that include overdoses and retail theft, which require multiple officers to respond and more officer time to complete the necessary paperwork.
Results are unofficial until they are canvassed.
Results
Germantown Safety Referendum
Yes: 3,759 votes and 62.02% of the ballots
No: 2,302 votes and 37.98% of the ballots
Election resultsMilwaukee County and area
Election resultsWisconsin statewide races
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy