Village to ask for permanent EMS tax hike of $200,000

The details of a November referendum to fund paramedic services have finally been worked out by the Fredonia Village Board.

Over the last month, trustees have discussed both the amount and duration of the tax rate increase they will seek — $200,000, $225,000 or $250,000 for three years or in perpetuity. Last week, trustees decided to ask voters for a permanent tax increase of as much as $200,000, although they will review it a final time at Thursday’s board meeting.

Going for a permanent levy increase signals the board’s commitment to the fledgling paramedic program that is funded jointly by the villages and towns of Fredonia and Belgium, Village President Dan Gehrke said.

“We are committed to this program. We’ve gone down this road. Now it’s up to the taxpayers to say, ‘Yes,’ or ‘No,’” he said.

The board decided to seek the more conservative $200,000 amount — which would increase property taxes by $72.80 per $100,000 of assessed value — to “do right by taxpayers” by requesting the levy increase amount closest to immediate budgetary needs, Village Administrator Christophe Jenkins said.

“This number will get us where we need to go for the foreseeable future,” Gehrke said. A $200,000 levy increase is expected to cover the village’s share of paramedic expenses until 2029.

A 10-year forecast of expenses for the paramedic program done by Ehlers, a financial consulting firm, shows the village’s share of the cost increasing from $156,543 in 2025 to $175,628 in 2026, then by an estimated 6% annually through 2034, topping at $265,322.

During years the village will levy more than the program expends, an Ehlers representative said, it could save the funds or pool them for future years when they will be needed.

Alternatively, the village could simultaneously reduce its payment on its debt levy to lower overall taxes that year, the representative said.

The fact the referendum will likely allow the village to levy more than is immediately necessary, Gehrke said, “will take some marketing to voters.”

Village staff members said they’re hopeful that residents will see the need for a paramedic referendum, and pointed out the success of similar referendums across the state and in Ozaukee County over the last year.

Fredonia Fire Chief Brian Weyker said at last week’s meeting the referendum will allow the department to hire desperately needed paramedics to fill gaps in the service schedule caused by declining volunteer numbers amid increased calls.

“The days of the volunteers are gone,” he said.

Weyker also noted the success of the paramedic program, which was established with American Rescue Plan Act funds two years ago, in attracting paramedics with a combined near-half-century of experience.

Many other departments in the state, he said, “have kids with one or two years experience.”

The village will continue to host listening sessions, which give the community the opportunity to talk to village and fire department leaders, as well as roll out online informational materials and mail fliers.

The next listening session will be on Sept. 25.