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1. What is the proposed public safety referendum on the ballot?

The referendum will ask voters to decide whether or not to support an increase in the County’s annual tax levy, beginning in 2024, to cover the cost of 24 additional public safety positions.

This question asks voters of St. Croix County whether or not to support an increase in the county annual tax levy to cover the public safety costs for:

• 8 - Sheriff Deputies
• 4 - Correction Deputies
• 3 - Investigators
• 2 - Pre-Trial Case Managers
• 2 - Support Staff
• 2 - Deputy Clerk of Courts
• 1 - CHIPS Attorney
• 2 - Co-Responders

Back to the Public Safety Referendum page.

2. What will appear on the ballot?

The language used in the referendum question is required by the state of Wisconsin. To summarize the question, if approved, there will be a one-time permanent increase of $3,536,507 to our annual tax levy. This increase is spread out throughout the entire County. Property taxes would increase by $24.97 per $100,000 of your equalized value.

The following question will be on the April 4, 2023 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, 2024, is limited to 2%, based on St. Croix County’s best estimate, which results in a levy of $44,319,159. Shall St. Croix County be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2024, for the purpose of Public Safety, by a total of 7.98%, which results in a levy of $47,855,666, and on an ongoing basis, include the increase of $3,536,507 each fiscal year going forward?”

YES

NO

A “yes” vote for the referendum means that you support an increase in the tax levy for funding additional public safety personnel in St. Croix County.

A “no” vote for the referendum means that you don’t support an increase in the tax levy for funding additional public safety personnel in St. Croix County.

Back to the Public Safety Referendum page.

3. What will it mean if a majority of voters vote “yes”?

If the referendum is approved by a majority of voters on April 4, St. Croix County will be able to fund 24 additional public safety positions. This will increase staffing levels to ensure that there are adequate resources to sufficiently respond to calls for service from residents of our County.

Back to the Public Safety Referendum page.

4. What does it mean if a majority vote “no” and the referendum fails?

If the referendum is rejected by a majority of voters, the County will be faced with difficult decisions about how to address the growing need for public safety services. A rejection of the referendum would have a negative impact on our public safety and emergency service capacity.

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5. What is the cost per household?

To pay for the additional 24 public safety positions, property taxes would increase based off your equalized property value. The proposed levy increase is $3,536,507 each fiscal year going forward. The increase per $100,000 of equalized value is $24.97. It is important to note that this does not factor in growth to our County. We are currently the fastest growing county in Wisconsin. As our population grows and more people are paying taxes, the cost is spread out.

Equalized Property Value	Property Tax Increase
$100,000	$24.97
$200,000	$49.94
$300,000	$74.91
$400,000	$99.88

Our property taxes are determined by the County’s Mill Rate. The Mill Rate for St. Croix County has decreased every year since 2013.

We know that no one likes seeing their property taxes increase, but did you know that County taxes account for 21%* of the average property tax bill? That's 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. The expansion will help ensure our services keep up with the growing needs of our County.

*Percentage updated the most recent data from 2022 taxes.

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6. Would this increase be permanent?

Yes. If approved, the 24 public safety positions spread across the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Circuit Courts, and the Health and Human Services Department addressed by the referendum would result in a one-time permanent increase of $3,536,507 to our annual tax levy. This increase is spread out throughout the entire County. Property taxes would increase by $24.97 per $100,000 of your equalized value. Because this would go toward paying people's salaries, this would be a one-time permanent increase.

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7. Why do we need a referendum to raise the tax levy limit?

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.

County levy limits in Wisconsin went into effect in 2005. This is the first time in 18 years that the County has gone to referendum to ask for an increase to the tax levy.

Each year the County’s budget increases based off the net new construction. With our current growth this has allowed our budget to increase on average 2-3% each year. While this has allowed us to add address some priorities and offset some inflationary pressures, it has not been enough to keep up with the demand for our public safety services.

Net new construction refers to the increase in the assessed value of only new or improved property. When new buildings are constructed or existing buildings are improved, the assessed value of the property usually increases. It's important to note that not all new construction counts towards net new construction. For example, construction of exempt properties such as churches, schools, and government buildings are not included in the calculation of net new construction.

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8. If approved, when will the tax levy increase go into effect and how soon will these positions be available?

If approved, the levy would go into effect beginning in 2024. We would be looking to add positions at that time. One of the concerns we hear is that, our Sheriff’s Office needs help now. If the referendum passes, there are options to add some of the highest priority positions earlier because we know the funding will be there in the years to come.

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9. What other alternatives were considered to fund public safety?

Our public safety staff have adapted to address our growing needs by working smarter, creating efficiencies, collaborating with stakeholders and community members, utilizing special funding sources, and prioritizing what types of service we provide. Despite our best efforts, it is increasingly difficult to meet the growing demands for service without additional personnel.

Every year we have requests for additional positions. With the current funding, we prioritize the addition of a few positions where we can. For example, 9-1-1 dispatchers aren’t on the list because we've added some positions in the Dispatch Center over the last few years. Ultimately, the number of needs we have is just too great for the annual amount that we're allowed to allocate. We are at a point where we either continue the process of prioritizing and just adding a few positions or through this referendum we provide the funding needed to keep up with the demand for our public safety services.

We’ve also heard questions about why we are not advocating for the use of ARPA Funds or pulling from other one-time funding sources. The problem is that these funding resources are not sustainable for long-term ongoing expenses like paying the salaries of these needed positions. The last thing we want to do is to hire great people to fill these positions in the short term and have to let them go a year or two down the road when the funding is gone. We have identified a long-term issue that requires a long-term solution.

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10. If we have a growing population adding more taxpayers, why do we need to increase the tax levy through referendum?

Each year the County’s budget increases based off the net new construction. With our current growth this has allowed our operating levy to increase by 2-3%. This has allowed us to address some priorities and offset some inflationary pressures. However, the amount received from net new construction alone is not enough to keep up with the demand for our public safety services.

Net new construction refers to the increase in the assessed value of only new or improved property. When new buildings are constructed or existing buildings are improved, the assessed value of the property usually increases. It's important to note that not all new construction counts towards net new construction. For example, construction of exempt properties such as churches, schools, and government buildings are not included in the calculation of net new construction.

Back to the Public Safety Referendum page.

11. Where do I find voting information?

You can find information on where and when to vote on our Voting and Elections page.

Back to the Public Safety Referendum page.