HOWARD, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Howard voters will see a public safety referendum question on the April ballot.
The referendum seeks to increase the existing levy by $765,000 to fill state and federal funding gaps and to allow for increased staffing and services.
On Tuesday, village leaders and Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain spoke on the importance of the referendum and how it will meet the needs of the growing community.
“With an increased population and higher demands for services, the village of Howard has an urgent need for additional police and fire protection and emergency medical services to improve our response times and to provide the high level of service that our residents expect,” said Howard Village Administrator Paul Evert.
An approved referendum would allow the village to provide:
- Additional police protection with the 24/7 staffing of a second patrol car. This includes adding an 8-hour shift, 365 days a year, to the existing Brown County Sheriff’s contract with the purpose of reducing law enforcement response times.
- Village-operated, fire-based emergency medical services (The village’s private ambulance service contract expires in 2023).
- Enhanced 24/7 Fire Rescue Department including seven full-time firefighter/paramedic positions to allow for faster response times. In 2022, 19% of Howard EMS calls took 10 minutes or more for an ambulance to arrive. This additional funding will improve response times.
“Most of our residents are unaware that on a typical night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., we do not have firefighters at the station. Yet while the number of structure fires have increased during the evenings, our paid, on-call firefighters leave their homes when dispatched, arrive at the station and then head out to the emergency. This additional funding will address that gap in service,” Evert explained.
The estimated tax impact is roughly a 33-cent increase to the village mill rate. This equates to an increase of approximately $33.24 per $100,000 of property value.
For residents to learn more about the referendum and ask questions, informational meetings will be held on the following dates and times:
- Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room (back entrance) at Howard Village Hall, 2456 Glendale Ave.
- Monday, March 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room (back entrance) at Howard Village Hall, 2456 Glendale Ave.
