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Public Safety Referendum
The Public Safety Referendum was approved during the Spring 2024 election. The roles approved for funding in this referendum will work to ensure the safety and protection of the people of St. Croix County. Thank you for your support!
As St. Croix County continues to grow, the demand for public safety services rises with it - creating a need for additional personnel that current funding levels cannot support. To give residents an opportunity to have their voices heard, the St. Croix County Board of Supervisors voted to place a Public Safety Referendum question on the April 2, 2024 Spring ballot.
The referendum asks voters of St. Croix County whether or not to support an increase in the County’s annual tax levy to cover the need for 8 additional public safety positions:
- 2 Mental Health Co-Responders
- 2 Correction Deputies
- 1 Sheriff's Office Investigator
- 1 District Attorney Investigator
- 1 Youth Justice Early Intervention Specialist
- 1 Deputy Clerk of Court
These roles are crucial for meeting our County's most pressing safety needs, including managing mental health crises and improving judicial and law enforcement efficiency. Together, they ensure the safety and protection of the people of St. Croix County. Supporting the referendum means you are supporting a safer, more resilient community, ensuring that our public safety services keep up with our growing population and your needs.
Learn more about the need and investment for our County's public safety in following sections and FAQs.
Community Growth and an Investment in Public Safety
Our public safety teams have been remarkable in adapting and creating efficiencies to the growing need for their services. Yet, there's a limit to how much can be achieved without expanding our resources. This referendum is an investment in our County's safety. We want every resident to feel secure and supported as we continue to grow and thrive together.
At the cost of $5 per $100,000 of equalized value, you can help us provide for our safety needs, now and in the future.
Click on and expand the sections below to learn more about the need and the cost.
We are always looking for ways to make your tax dollars create the most value for you. In 2023, St. Croix County went to referendum for the first time, seeking an increase to the tax levy for 24 additional public safety positions. When that referendum failed to pass, we took your feedback and re-assessed our needs. With limited additional new State funding we were able to cover the cost of some of the positions requested in 2023. But this will only fulfill part of the need we are seeing for public safety. This April, we will be going back to referendum asking for support to get the job done and increase our public safety capacity. This time asking for a much lower increase of $896,000 for 8 positions, which is equivalent to just $5 per $100,000 of assessed property value.
County levy limits in Wisconsin went into effect in 2005. The state of Wisconsin limits the amount of property taxes counties and other local municipalities can collect each year. In order to exceed the levy limit to help fund important services, local governments need voter approval through a referendum.
To pay for the additional 8 public safety positions, property taxes would increase starting in 2025 based off your equalized property value. If approved, there will be a one-time permanent increase of $896,000 to our annual tax levy. This increase is spread out throughout the entire County. Property taxes would increase by $5 per $100,000 of your equalized value.
This modest increase represents an affordable and crucial investment in our safety. It's a small price to pay to support our important public safety functions.
| Equalized Property Value | Property Tax Increase |
|---|---|
| $100,000 | $5 |
| $200,000 | $10 |
| $300,000 | $15 |
| $400,000 | $20 |
| $500,000 | $25 |
We know that no one likes seeing their property taxes increase, but did you know that County taxes account for 20% of the average property tax bill? That means less than 20 cents on every dollar you pay in property taxes goes to fund important services like 9-1-1 dispatch and our Sheriff’s Department, Court Services, and keeping our roads clear in the winter. This referendum will help ensure our services keep up with the growing needs of our County.
Fiscal Responsibility
Our property taxes are determined by the County’s Mill Rate. Did you know that the 2024 Budget is set to create a mill rate that stands as the lowest in St. Croix County, tracing back to the early 1970s. Want to learn more about where your tax dollars are going?
Needed Positions and Their Impact on Public Safety
Collectively, these positions will enhance our County’s ability to manage complex safety issues, reduce recidivism, and ensure more responsive and resilient public safety services, fostering a safer and more secure environment for all our residents.
Click on and expand the sections below to learn more about the needed positions.
Funding the Co-Responder positions supports residents experiencing a mental health crisis and alleviates pressure on law enforcement. Funding for these positions expires at the end of 2024, placing this valuable resource in question.
Behavioral health professionals who ‘co-respond’ with law enforcement to mental health crisis events, help prevent high-cost hospital detentions, reduce law enforcement time responding to mental health crisis events, and provide compassionate, appropriate care to the person in crisis.
St. Croix County currently has 2 co-responders whose positions are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) which expires at the end of 2024. Sustained funding will improve outcomes for St. Croix County residents experiencing a mental health crisis, while freeing-up law enforcement to respond to other community needs.
The Co-Responders began in March of 2022. Since then, these 2 co-responders assisted on 280 crisis calls. Calls for service to the co-responders came from all over the County with 37% coming from the Sheriff’s Office followed by the New Richmond Police Department at 18%. No matter where a mental health crisis is happening in our County, our Co-Responders answer the call with compassion and seek the best outcome for everyone.
56% of the calls resulted in a community plan with the individual(s). This is the optimal outcome of these calls because it connects them with the treatment and resources they need while being able to remain at home surrounded by their natural supports. Regardless of the outcome, our Co-Responders provide the much need compassion and resources during a very difficult time.
The St. Croix County Health and Human Services (HHS) Department also provides mental health services in the jail, so inmates have more integrated care and access to County services while they are in custody and upon release.
Corrections Deputies play a vital role in maintaining the safety and stability in our County.
Corrections Deputies are responsible for overseeing individuals who are awaiting trial or serving sentences, ensuring that these facilities operate smoothly and securely. Their work is crucial in upholding the justice system, ensuring that it functions effectively and fairly.
Corrections Deputies contribute to the rehabilitation of inmates. By facilitating educational opportunities, vocational training, and counseling services, they aid in preparing inmates for successful reintegration into society. This not only helps in reducing recidivism rates, but also in fostering a safer and more productive community. The work of Corrections Deputies, extends beyond the jail, playing a pivotal role in shaping positive outcomes for our County.
As cases increase in number and complexity, the role of investigators in our Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices are crucial in ensuring stronger, more thoroughly investigated cases for effective prosecution.
Sheriff's Office Investigators are an important asset to our public safety. These professionals investigate complex crimes that occur within the County’s jurisdiction. They collect and analyze evidence, interview witnesses, and work closely with other law enforcement agencies and the legal system to ensure thorough and fair investigations.
If a case is referred to the District Attorney’s (DA) Office, the new investigator in that office will review the evidence and determine if more information is needed to build a strong, fact-based prosecution. Currently the Sheriff’s Office Investigators respond to these requests from the DA’s Office. Having a dedicated Investigator in the DA’s Office will give the Sheriff’s and DA’s Offices more resources to focus on strengthening cases, which are increasing in both number and complexity.
The addition of a Deputy Clerk of Court is essential to manage the growing caseload.
The increase in cases doesn’t just impact the Sheriff’s and DA’s Offices. This referendum will help address the increasing workload on our Circuit Courts. In 2023, there were 9,573 cases filed in Clerk of Court’s Office, an increase of over 600 cases from the previous year.
The St. Croix County Clerk of Court provides administrative, skilled legal support, and record keeping services to the Circuit Court and the residents of St Croix County. The addition of a Deputy Clerk of Court will allow us to provide more timely assistance and equal access to court services. The services provided by the Deputy Clerk of Court work to enhance public trust and confidence in the court system.
Adding a Youth Justice Early Intervention Specialist helps us proactively address the issues surrounding truancy and potential future criminal involvement among youth.
Truancy is the habitual or chronic absenteeism from school for youths under the age of 18. Issues regarding truancy are plaguing our schools and courts across the country and here at home as well. Oftentimes, truancy is the result of a lack of transportation, limited adult supervision, bullying in schools, and issues surrounding mental health and substance use.
The Youth Justice Intervention Specialist will work with the youth, families, schools, and municipal courts in the County to address the underlying causes of truancy. These efforts will allow truancy to be addressed earlier and even work to prevent some truancy before it becomes chronic or habitual. When issues of truancy are persistent, they move onto the municipal courts and potentially County circuit courts. Additionally, this work will keep truancy cases out of the youth justice system and help to prevent further criminal involvement.
Voting on April 2
The following question will be on the April 2, 2024, Spring ballot:
“Under state law, the increase in the levy for St. Croix County for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2025, is limited to 2%, based on St. Croix County’s best estimate, which results in a levy of $46,002,438. Shall St. Croix County be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2025, for the purpose of hiring two Mental Health Co-Responders, one Youth Justice Early Intervention Specialist, two Sheriff Corrections Deputies, one Sheriff Investigator, one District Attorney Investigator, and one Deputy Clerk Of Court; to address the County’s most pressing public safety needs, by a total of 1.96%, which results in a levy of $46,898,438, and on an ongoing basis, include the increase of $896,000 each fiscal year going forward”
A “Yes” vote means that you support additional personnel being hired to address the increasing public safety needs within St. Croix County at a cost of $896,000 per year, added to the tax levy. The one-time increase creates a new authorized tax levy total amount going forward. The one-time increase is equivalent to $5 per $100,000 of property value.
A “No” vote means that you do not support additional public safety personnel being hired at a cost of $896,000 per year, added to the tax levy.
The language used in the referendum question is required by the state of Wisconsin. During the Spring 2023 Public Safety Referendum a common concern we received was that, due to the required wording, it sounded like the referendum would result in additional increases each year. This is not the case. The referendum would result in a one-time permanent increase of $896,000 – an increase of $5 per $100,000 of your equalized value.
- What is the proposed public safety referendum on the ballot?
- What will appear on the ballot?
- What will it mean if a majority of voters vote “yes”?
- What does it mean if a majority vote “no” and the referendum fails?
- What is the cost per household?
- Would this increase be permanent?
- Why do we need a referendum to raise the tax levy limit?
- If approved, when will the tax levy increase go into effect and how soon will these positions be available?
- If we have a growing population adding more taxpayers, why do we need to increase the tax levy through referendum?
- Where do I find voting information?