Fitchburg voters decide to increase property taxes
FITCHBURG, Wis. (WKOW) — Fitchburg residents are voting on whether to approve or reject a nearly $3.6 million property tax levy increase. The referendum will be held based on the 2024 general election ballot papers.
If approved, a portion of the funds would go toward funding new positions in the city.
Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta said, “We have five police officers, six firefighters, and three internal staff.We are covering the operating costs of the police facility that is under construction and are also working to improve transportation.”
She and members of the Fitchburg Police Department hosted an information session on Tuesday, just one week before the Nov. 5 election, to talk to area residents about the referendum.
“The growth the city is experiencing can only cover existing services. That growth cannot absorb growth costs such as hiring more police officers and firefighters or investing in public transportation,” Arata said.・Mr. Fratta said. Said.
The current median home price in Fitchburg is just under $458,000. If the referendum passes, the average household’s property taxes would increase by nearly $25 a month. That’s about $300 a year.
“We discussed different sources of funding and Congress decided that a referendum was the best option, which Congress did not take lightly because no one wanted to raise taxes,” Arata-Fratta said. Ta.
Here you can calculate how much of an impact your property tax increase would have if approved.
The referendum’s decision could also affect the status of police facilities that the city is building.
Captain Edward Hartwick said they went back and forth from their starting point and finally completed the new rendering. He said the exact cost of the facility is still being worked out, but it could be made smaller than previously requested.
“We reduced square footage and cut costs, but the mayor also added additional funding for sustainability efforts, so in order to come up with that amount of money, we would have to redo all of this.” “There is,” he said. . “We’ve been allocated just under $40 million, so we’re waiting on additional estimates from the construction management company to give us an exact amount based on the current design.”
If the referendum does not pass, construction of police facilities could be delayed.
