Wausau Fire Engine 1. MWC photo by Mike Leischner.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau City Council will give final consideration to a public safety referendum next April. However, Alders acknowledged that the question is by no means a slam-dunk.
“Unfortunately, with all the increases year after year to the [taxpayers] in Wausau, they pretty much have the brakes pressed,” said Alder Vicky Tierney. “If this referendum fails, they’ll be telling us they don’t want higher taxes or more fees, [they’ll say] they feel that they have been taxed and fee’d to death.”
Mayor Doug Diny briefly addressed the council, three days after issuing a plan to cut positions elsewhere in the budget to make up a $1.4 million deficit and save four positions, allowing the department to maintain minimum staffing. After the meeting, Diny issued a statement saying he had “hoped for more Council curiosity about finding other cuts and revenue to save firefighter positions and minimize the impact of the referendum.”
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Though Alder Lisa Rasmussen said the city can work on that backup plan while also moving forward with the referendum, because there is no guarantee it will pass. “I feel like that effort should take place in parallel with the question, if we decide to ask it. We need to prepare for either outcome.”
She said that could also mean revenue sources like fire department service fees billed to insurance companies for “live fire” situations, noting that the city has never charged that. “That is something that the insurance industry is not only familiar with, but they expect it. We have never charged that.”
The two-hour discussion began with a presentation on staffing from Fire Chief Jeremy Kopp and another on how the department handles calls with limited staffing. He also discussed the department’s ISO ratings and how additional staffing could impact insurance rates for residents.
Alders voted unanimously to send the referendum discussion to the November 11th meeting. They split 5-4 on spending $65,000 for a public information campaign on the issue. That will also be considered at the next meeting.
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