Village, town to hold info sessions on EMS referendum

The first of two public information sessions on the April 2 fire and emergency medical system referendum will be held by the town and village of Grafton on Thursday.

That session will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, and the second at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14.

Both sessions will be at the Rose-Harms American Legion Hall, 1540 13th Ave.

The sessions will include a presentation on the referendum and a question-and-answer period with Town Chairman Lester Bartel and Village President Daniel Delorit.

The meetings will be recorded and available online for those who cannot attend the sessions.

The April 2 referendum asks voters to approve increasing the tax levy to pay for 13 full-time staff members in the Saukville and Grafton fire departments and formally create a joint Grafton-Saukville Fire Department.

If approved, the tax levy in 2025 would increase by $1.5 million in the Village of Grafton, $372,000 in the Town of Grafton, and $205,090 in the Town of Saukville.

The Village of Saukville would be required to pay $39,000 for the additional staffing, but the village can cover that cost in its budget without increasing the levy so it does not need a referendum.

Grafton Village Administrator Jesse Thyes said the increased staffing is needed to meet the growing need for services in the communities.

“These information sessions provide an opportunity for the town and village of Grafton to start a dialogue with members of the community, further explore funding needs for our Fire/EMS system and answer questions from community members,” Thyes said.

Additional information about the referendum can be found at www.village.grafton.wi.us/946/Referendums.