Muskego police, fire referendum; voters reject $5.9M measure

MILWAUKEE - Muskego voters on Tuesday rejected a $5.9 million referendum to fund additional police officers and transition to full-time staffing for fire department services.

Muskego referendum

By the numbers:

Muskego presented the referendum as the city's population expands. If passed, the property tax increase would have added about $500 annually to the tax bill of a median-assessed home valued at $512,000.

Police, fire services

By the numbers:

The proposal would have added five new patrol officers, ensuring one additional officer is on duty during each shift. The city would also have hired one new police dispatcher to assist with incoming calls.

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Officials designed the measure as a five-year staffing plan, with plans to begin implementing the changes by January if it were approved. City leaders believe the additional staff will satisfy public safety needs for the foreseeable future.

The money also would have funded 16 full-time positions, including a fire chief, and 36 part-time firefighter and EMS roles for the Tess Corners Volunteer Fire Department. City data shows Tess Corners responded to more than 1,800 emergency calls last year alone.

Staffing needs

Dig deeper:

Muskego is the 30th largest community in Wisconsin, but it remains one of the few of its size still relying on a volunteer fire department. In September, Mayor Rick Petfalski noted that the top 50 largest communities in the state are all served by full-time fire departments.

The city has also seen a 23% increase in police calls over the past five years. Petfalski said about 75% of crime comes from outside city borders, driven by local business expansion and broader regional growth.

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