Marshfield voters could see referendum to add 2 firefighters on April ballots

MARSHFIELD ? City voters could be looking at another tax-increase referendum during the spring election.

Marshfield Fire Chief Everett Mueller asked the Marshfield Fire and Police Commission at its Thursday meeting for permission to work with city staff to come up with a referendum question for the April 2025 election. Mueller didn't give a dollar amount, but he hopes to raise enough to allow the department to add two firefighters to the department.

"The two firefighters would get us back to where we were in 2021," Mueller said.

In 2022, the city cut the two positions because state-imposed tax levy caps required deep cuts in the city's budget. City officials have not been able to find the money under the levy limit in the past two years.

Not having the positions is hurting the department's response times and care of patients, Mueller said.

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The amount would be considerably less than the amount asked for in the public safety referendum that failed in April 2023. At that time, the city hoped to raise taxes by $1.1 million annually to hire nine new firefighters, one police officer, one police department records specialist and one administrative assistant whose time would have been split between the Marshfield Police and Fire departments.

Marshfield had informational meetings for the public prior to the 2023 election. Marshfield City Administrator Steve Barg said Thursday the feedback officials were hearing from the public wasn't that they didn't believe the city needed the positions. Instead, people questioned whether the city needed to increase the numbers that much all at once.

On Nov. 5, Marshfield voters approved a $71.5 million school referendum. Barg said although taxpayers are always unhappy about any increase in taxes, the amount for two new firefighters would be about $250,000, an amount that's only a fraction of the school referendum.

Marshfield City Clerk Jessica Schiferl said if the city doesn't put the issue to referendum on the spring election, it will have to wait until 2026, because there is no fall election in 2025.

Commission member Christopher Hanson said it's important for Marshfield residents to know why the two firefighter/paramedic positions are important to them. He said Mueller needs to bring numbers that show how response times and care of patients are impacted, he said.

Mueller said he has the facts to support the need for the two positions and plans to present those when the issue goes to the Marshfield City Council.

The Marshfield Fire and Police Commission unanimously approved Mueller working with city staff to come up with a proposed referendum question to take to the Marshfield City Council.

Contact Karen Madden at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33

This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Marshfield may see referendum to add 2 firefighters in April