BROOKFIELD, Wis. — The City of Brookfield will ask voters to approve a $6 million referendum this spring. City leaders say the money will go toward addressing a budget deficit and that it is the only way to maintain current city services.
But that has voters asking questions.
“So we don’t lose some services. I don’t know which services might be cut,” asked Karen Engelhardt.
So TMJ4 News asked Brookfield leaders about that.
“Just to keep doing the things we do every day—police patrolling the streets, plowing the streets, collecting garbage,” said Robert Scott, the City of Brookfield finance director. “The cost of doing those things goes up two to three percent a year in a normal inflationary environment.”
Watch: Residents, city leaders weigh in on Brookfield's $6 million tax referendum
Mayor Steven Ponto says the city is limited by the state to only raise taxes by 1%, so it needs a referendum to make up the difference.
Robert Scott (right), the City of Brookfield Finance Director, stand inside Common Council chambers.
“Is this because Waukesha County didn’t approve a sales tax increase?” asked reporter Rebecca Klopf.
“Waukesha County was willing to include municipalities. We would have gotten $2 million a year,” said Ponto. “That would be an important aid to us, but it wouldn’t have solved the problem completely.”
Brookfield says that along with a growing budget gap, it was also losing grant funding for nine firefighter and paramedic positions. For Brookfield voter Joanne Dricken, that’s where she wants to see her tax dollars go.
“We have really good fire service, police, garbage, my library… love it. So to me, that is money well spent,” said Joanne.
The average homeowner in Brookfield owns a $460,000 assessed home. That means they would pay $300 more a year. This referendum question will be on the April ballot.
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