VILLAGE OF PEWAUKEE, Wis. — People living in some senior apartments are fighting back against a new fee for fire and EMS services. They are now launching a recall effort against their trustee who agreed to the change.
The seniors at Quail Point Apartments are busy getting petitions together. They are working with their group, which they call Protect Pewaukee. That group is collecting signatures to recall their Village of Pewaukee Trustee Bob Rohde.
“People like myself served this country in the Army Reserve. I was a teacher. I have given 50-plus years to my community, and you go and do this to us as seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes,” said Richard Petersohn, who lives in a senior apartment community.
“We have been unfairly represented and assessed with an extreme cost for EMS and fire services, above and beyond what the rest of the Village of Pewaukee has been assessed,” said Barbara Flickinger.
The village has come up with a formula for assigning fees for emergency services. Each property is assigned an ESE fee based on how often that type of property receives a response from the fire department. Residents say they are being charged four times the rate of a normal homeowner. They argue that it is miscalculated because senior apartments are being lumped in with assisted living or nursing homes. They are simply people over 55 years old who live together in apartments; some are still working or newly retired.
Watch: Pewaukee seniors start recall effort against their trustee over EMS fees
"That gross overcharging—we are labeling it elder abuse,” said Jim Cadd.
The ESE fee that the village placed on Jim Cadd's tax bill was $154,000, which would have broken down to $500 for each senior had he forced them to pay it. A similar bill was sent to Richard Petersohn's senior apartment, which is across the street. This is why they are banding together in this effort to recall him.
“We are going to get the petition signed for the recall,” said Flickinger.
“I am 100 percent behind that,” said Petersohn.
TMJ4 reporter Rebecca Klopf spoke with Trustee Bob Rohde and asked him for an interview or statement about this recall effort. He said he is not ready to make any comments yet.
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